[Study on drug resistance and molecular epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in Chongqing].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and drug resistance of Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae in patients infected in communities and molecular epidemiology with BOX-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Chongqing areas.


METHODS
A total of 680 clinical specimens from sputum and throat/nasal swabs were collected from patients seen from September 2000 to March 2001. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by agar dilution test. BOX-PCR was used for molecular typing of S. pneumoniae.


RESULTS
A total of 39 isolates of S. pneumoniae were collected with the isolation rate of 5.7%. Of the 34 S. pneumoniae strains, two showed low-level resistance to penicillin (MIC 0.125 mg/L), one to levofloxacin, but many to macrolide and clindamycin (nearly 70%). All the strains were susceptible to beta-lactams and vancomycin. BOX-PCR typing demonstrated a high discriminatory potential and easy to be accurately analysed. 35 S. pneumoniae strains (include ATCC49619) were divided into 25 distinct types, representing 29 subtypes with A (n = 3) as the predominant type. 2 penicillin-resistant strains were shown to be different types.


CONCLUSIONS
Penicillin resistant rate of S. pneumoniae was low in Chongqing, but macrolide and clindamycin resistant strains were common while BOX-PCR typing was a suitable technique to type S. pneumoniae. No dominant antibiotic resistant strains were found in Chongqing.
Yao
Cheng
C
Department of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400016, China. yaocheng1228@yahoo.com.cn
Yu
Ze-bo
ZB
Xiao
Yong-hong
YH
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018942:Macrolides; D002981:Clindamycin