Resistance of Streptococcus pyogenes to Erythromycin and Related Antibiotics in Italy

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 27; no. Supplement-1; pp. S87 - S92
• Main Authors: Cornaglia, Giuseppe, Ligozzi, Marco, Mazzariol, Annarita, Masala, Laura, Cascio, Giuliana Lo, Fontana, Roberta
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.08.1998; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Antibacterial agents; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antimicrobials; Biological and medical sciences; DNA; Labor standards; Lincosamides; Macrolides; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Streptococcus pyogenes; Surveillance; The Nature of Problem Bacteria: Is Resistance Enough?; Italy; Europe; Sanitary program; Drug susceptibility test; Clindamycin; Erythromycin; Epidemiology; Macrolide; Resistance; Streptococcaceae; Antibiotic; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Streptococcus pyogenes; Antibacterial agent; Sanitary surveillance
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/514908

A survey of antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes, performed within the framework of a national surveillance program, has revealed a dramatic increase in resistance of S. pyogenes to erythromycin in most areas of Italy. In virtually all the centers that provided data for 3 consecutive years, the incidence of erythromycin-resistant strains increased twofold to 20-fold from 1993 to 1995 and was greater than 30% in five of the 14 centers participating in the study. The clonality of erythromycin-resistant isolates was studied in 15 strains isolated from different patients at the Institute of Microbiology of Verona University (Verona). The features of the Verona isolates and the substantially different rates of erythromycin and clindamycin resistance observed in most centers suggest that the spread of different resistance genes in multiple clones might be occurring throughout the country.