[Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Legionella isolates in the environment and in patients].
BACKGROUND
Antimicrobial susceptibility of Legionella spp. has rarely been studied in Korea. Therefore, we aimed to determine the susceptibility of Legionella spp. to various antibiotics.


METHODS
We assessed the antimicrobial susceptibility of 66 environmental and clinical Legionella isolates collected between January 2001 and December 2008 from Korea and Japan. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 6 antibiotics, namely, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, clindamycin, gatifloxacin, and gemifloxacin were determined by the broth microdilution method using buffered starch yeast extract broth.


RESULTS
The MIC ranges of the 6 antibiotics used against the Legionella isolates were as follows: 0.004-0.062 microg/mL (azithromycin), 0.002-0.5 microg/mL (ciprofloxacin), 0.004-0.5 microg/mL (clarithromycin), 0.12-4 microg/mL (clindamycin), 0.002-0.12 microg/mL (gatifloxacin), and 0.008-1 microg/mL (gemifloxacin).


CONCLUSIONS
Legionella spp. isolates from Korea and Japan were most susceptible to gatifloxacin. Azithromycin, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, and gemifloxacin were also effective for treating legionellosis.
Choi
Go Eun
GE
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Kang
Jeong Eun
JE
Lee
Eun Yup
EY
Chang
Chulhun L
CL
Tateda
Kazuhiro
K
Yamaguchi
Keizo
K
Kim
Kyeong Hee
KH
Kim
Jeong Man
JM
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077734:Gatifloxacin; D000077735:Gemifloxacin; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007876:Legionellosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009287:Naphthyridines / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D009287:Naphthyridines; D002981:Clindamycin; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D017963:Azithromycin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D000077734:Gatifloxacin; D000077735:Gemifloxacin