The Sentinel Project: an update on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in community-acquired respiratory Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus spp. in Italy.
A total of 460 Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus spp. collected from respiratory infections during 2000 was tested for their susceptibility to 15 selected antibiotics. Overall, penicillin resistance among pneumococci was 10.5%, while lack of susceptibility to macrolides, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline and chloramphenicol reached 35.2%, 26.2%, 22.6% and 6.0%, respectively. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and levofloxacin were the most potent compounds (100% and 99.9% susceptible strains, respectively). Among isolates of Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae, beta-lactamase production (12.5% and 10%, respectively), and co-trimoxazole (19.9% and 40.0%) and clarithromycin (11.2% and 40.0%) resistance were the prevalent threats. This study confirms the trend observed in Italy since 1992: macrolide resistance among respiratory microorganisms is increasing, while several drugs including amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, third generation injectable cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones remain active on the great majority of these pathogens.
Marchese
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Institute of Microbiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. anna.marchese@unige.it
Ardito
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Fadda
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Fontana
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Lo Cascio
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Nicoletti
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Speciale
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D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance