Macrolide-resistance mechanisms in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from Belgium |
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Authors: | J Van Eldere E Meekers K Lagrou C Massonet A Canu I Devenyns J Verhaegen G Syrogiannopoulos R Leclercq |
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Institution: | Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. johan.vaneldere@uz.kuleuven.ac.be |
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Abstract: | Of 233 erythromycin-resistant pneumococcal isolates collected in Belgium in 1999-2000, 89.7% carried the erm(B) gene, 6% the mef(A) gene, and 3.5%erm(B) plus mef(A). Two isolates contained neither erm(B) nor mef(A); one contained an erm(A) subclass erm(TR) gene, while the other contained an A2058G mutation in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene. Of 209 erm(B)-positive isolates, 191 had clindamycin MICs > 16 mg/L and 18 had MICs < or = 16 mg/L. Mef(A)-positive isolates all displayed the M resistance phenotype. Telithromycin remained active against erythromycin-resistant isolates, with the highest telithromycin MIC50 being found in mef(A)-positive isolates. No difference in the prevalence of different resistance mechanisms was observed compared to isolates collected in 1995-1997. |
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Keywords: | erm(B) macrolide resistance mef(A) pneumococci resistance Streptococcus pneumoniae |
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