title: [Invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Serbia: antimicrobial susceptibility and serotypes].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis and sepsis. Invasive pneumococcal disease is a significant medical problem worldwide, particularly in children, due to a huge increase of pneumococcal resistance to antibiotics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of invasive pneumococcal isolates, as well as to determine whether decreased S. pneumoniae susceptibility to antibiotics was related to a particular serotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antimicrobial susceptibility to 19 antibiotics was determined in 58 invasive pneumococcal strains that were collected from seven regional centers during the period July 2009 to February 2011 in the National Reference Laboratory for streptococci and pneumococci.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall nonsusceptibility rate to penicillin was detected in 34% of pneumococcal isolates and to erythromycin in 36%. Higher resistance rates were observed among children than among adults. Penicillin resistance rate was 65% in children versus 22% in adults, while erythromycin nonsusceptibility rate was 47% in children versus 32% in adults. Co-resistance to penicillin and erythromycin was detected in 21% strains, mostly isolated from children. Multiresistance was found in one third of isolates. All strains were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid, fluoroquinolones, telithromycin and rifampicin, while 23 (40%) isolates were susceptible to all tested antibiotics. The most common resistant serotypes were 19F and 14.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study has revealed that penicillin and macrolide resistance among invasive pneumococcal isolates is very high in Serbia. This emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring for invasive pneumococcal disease to document the serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gajić
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mijač
authors.forename: Lazar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ranin
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andjelković
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radičević
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Opavski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult