title: Increasing erythromycin resistance among group A streptococci causing tonsillitis in a tertiary care hospital in southern India.
abstract: Group A streptococci (GAS) (n = 1313) isolated from patients with clinical symptoms of pharyngitis or tonsillitis attending a tertiary care hospital in southern India during 1986-2002 were tested for susceptibility to penicillin and erythromycin. The overall erythromycin resistance rate was 2.7% (n = 36). During 1986-1993, erythromycin resistance was observed in only one (2%) isolate in 1987, but reappeared in 1994 (2.7%), increased to 5.8% in 1999, and reached a maximum frequency of 13.8% in 2002. All isolates were susceptible to penicillin. The data indicate the need for continued surveillance of susceptibility patterns among GAS isolates in order to monitor the development of antibiotic resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. knb1948@hotmail.com
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Brahmadathan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anitha
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gladstone
mesh_terms: D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D004917:Erythromycin