Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in western Nepal.
We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae. This study was conducted from January 2000 to August 2007 at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nepal. The isolates were identified based on standard bacteriological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing used the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method; penicillin resistance was confirmed by agar dilution method. During the study period, there were 312 S. pneumoniae isolates. Penicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol resistance were observed in 5, 34.3, 7.4, 11.1 and 0.4% of isolates, respectively. Resistance to all tested antibiotics declined with time except for penicillin, in which resistance increased. Penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae were significantly co-resistant to erythromycin. Co-resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin were observed in trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistant isolates. Penicillin resistance is increasing; therefore, measures to ensure judicious use of beta-lactams and macrolides (inducers of penicillin resistance) should be advocated to control the development of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae.
Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam, Pondicherry, India. dr.jmeasow@gmail.com
Joshy Maducolil
JM
Easow
Noyal Mariya
NM
Joseph
Pathiyil Ravi
PR
Shankar
Asish Purushothaman
AP
Rajamony
Banodita Acharya
BA
Dhungel
P G
PG
Shivananda
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents