title: Prevalence and molecular mechanism of macrolide resistance in beta-haemolytic streptococci in The Netherlands.
abstract: The prevalence of resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin as well as the presence of the resistance genes mef(A), mef(E), erm(A) and erm(B) were determined in 1076 consecutive isolates of beta-haemolytic streptococci of Lancefield groups A (n=219), B (n=562),C (n=58) and G (n=237) collected during 2005 and 2006. The prevalence of macrolide resistance was highest in group C streptococci (6.9%), followed by group B (5.3%), group G (4.6%) and group A (1.4%). Eighty-eight percent of resistance was mediated by erm(A) and erm(B) genes. Macrolide resistance in beta-haemolytic streptococci in The Netherlands is low, but increasing macrolide resistance was observed in group B streptococci.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C C Van Leer
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Buter
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mouton
authors.forename: C H W
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Klaassen
authors.forename: C M A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Handgraaf
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sunnen
authors.forename: W J G
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Melchers
authors.forename: P D J
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sturm
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D002981:Clindamycin; D004917:Erythromycin