title: Antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae: surveillance from 1993 to 2004 in Central Italy.
abstract: The susceptibility of 1870 Streptococcus pyogenes and 1595 Streptococcus pneumoniae to macrolides and lincosamides has been monitored from 1993 to 2004 in Central Italy. Among S. pyogenes, 30.2% were erythromycin resistant; 18.5% were also resistant to josamycin and clindamycin (MLS phenotype). After an increasing erythromycin resistance rate in 1993-1997 (maximum 53.16%), a definite decrease was observed since 2001 with resistance rates always less than 30%. Thirty six percent of pneumococcal isolates were erythromycin-resistant, with minor temporal fluctuations; the MLS phenotype was the most prevalent overall (32.6%) and in individual years. S. pneumoniae strains were also tested for susceptibility to beta-lactams and other antimicrobial agents: 11.2% were penicillin non-susceptible, with a gradually increasing prevalence after 2001 (maximum rate 17.3% in 2004), 31.15% were resistant to tetracycline, 4.9% to chloramphenicol, 0.74% to rifampin. All pneumococcal isolates were susceptible to teicoplanin and 99.9% to ceftriaxone and ofloxacin.
authors.affiliation: Clinica e Laboratorio di Malattie Infettive, Università di Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montagnani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stolzuoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cresti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cellesi
mesh_terms: D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D055231:Lincosamides; D018942:Macrolides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects*; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance
chemical_list: D055231:Lincosamides; D018942:Macrolides