title: Fourth Belgian multicentre survey of antibiotic susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To collect recent data on the susceptibility of anaerobes to antimicrobial agents with known activity against anaerobes, and to compare them with results from previous Belgian multicentre studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and three strict anaerobic clinical isolates were prospectively collected from February 2011 to April 2012 in eight Belgian university hospitals. MICs were determined by one central laboratory for 11 antimicrobial agents using Etest methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to EUCAST breakpoints, >90% of isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanate (94%), piperacillin/tazobactam (91%), meropenem (96%), metronidazole (92%) and chloramphenicol (98%), but only 70% and 40% to clindamycin and penicillin, respectively. At CLSI recommended breakpoints, only 71% were susceptible to moxifloxacin and 79% to cefoxitin. MIC50/MIC90 values for linezolid and for tigecycline were 1/4 and 0.5/4 mg/L, respectively. When compared with survey data from 2004, no major differences in susceptibility profiles were noticed. However, the susceptibility of Prevotella spp. and other Gram-negative bacilli to clindamycin decreased from 91% in 1993-94 and 82% in 2004 to 69% in this survey. Furthermore, the susceptibility of clostridia to moxifloxacin decreased from 88% in 2004 to 66% in 2011-12 and that of fusobacteria from 90% to 71%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with previous surveys, little evolution was seen in susceptibility, except a decline in activity of clindamycin against Prevotella spp. and other Gram-negative bacteria, and of moxifloxacin against clostridia. Since resistance was detected to all antibiotics, susceptibility testing of anaerobic isolates is indicated in severe infections to confirm appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wybo
authors.forename: Dorien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van den Bossche
authors.forename: Oriane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Soetens
authors.forename: Evilien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vekens
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vandoorslaer
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Claeys
authors.forename: Youri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Glupczynski
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ieven
authors.forename: Pierrette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Melin
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nonhoff
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Villalobos
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verhaegen
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piérard
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D001530:Belgium; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Etest; anaerobes; surveillance