Molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial susceptibility, and characterization of fluoroquinolone non-susceptible Streptococcus pyogenes in Japan

• Published in: Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 280 - 284
• Main Authors: Tatara, Kazuaki, Gotoh, Kenji, Okumiya, Kiyohito, Teramachi, Mariko, Ishimoto, Kazuhisa, Tanaka, Yuhei, Iwahashi, Jun, Shindou, Shizuo, Yamashita, Yushiro, Watanabe, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - immunology; Child; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; emm typing; Fluoroquinolone non-susceptible; Fluoroquinolones - pharmacology; Humans; Japan; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; MLST; Molecular Epidemiology; Multilocus Sequence Typing; PFGE; Pharyngitis - microbiology; S. pyogenes; Streptococcal Infections - microbiology; Streptococcus pyogenes - classification; Streptococcus pyogenes - drug effects; Streptococcus pyogenes - genetics; Streptococcus pyogenes - immunology; Japan; PFGE; Fluoroquinolone non-susceptible; MLST; S. pyogenes; emm typing
• ISSN: 1341-321X; 1437-7780; 1437-7780
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2019.10.004

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococci: GAS) are known to cause a wide variety of human illnesses, some of which can be life-threatening. Usually, penicillin is the first-choice agent for the treatment of GAS infections. For patients with penicillin or beta-lactam antibiotics allergies, macrolide drugs are recommended as an alternative therapy. However, an increased prevalence of macrolide-resistant GAS (MRGAS) has been reported in many countries. Furthermore, fluoroquinolone non-susceptible GAS has been reported. The present study was focused on determining the features of fluoroquinolone non-susceptible strains collected from children with pharyngotonsillitis in the southwestern areas of Japan. To reveal the characteristics of fluoroquinolone non-susceptible GAS, we investigated the MIC, T-serotype, emm typing, and PFGE of 298 GAS strains isolated in the Fukuoka southwest area of Japan between 2011 and 2013. We determined that fluoroquinolone non-susceptibility shows a MIC to tosufloxacin of ≧1 μg/ml. We identified 33 (11.1%) fluoroquinolone non-susceptible GAS strains. In these strains, 6 T-serotypes and 9 emm/MLST patterns were detected. The predominant combinations were emm6/ST382 (14 strains, 42.4%) and emm89/ST101 (5 strains, 15.2%). PFGE classified 10 pulsotypes, and each was quite different. These results showed that fluoroquinolone non-susceptible GAS strains have a variety of origins. The usage of fluoroquinolone drugs could have a negative effect on the antimicrobial drug sensitivity of GAS in Japan. Considering such a situation, continuous monitoring of quinolone non-susceptible GAS is necessary.