ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE IN FINLAND, 1987-1990

A nationwide survey of the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance amon g Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from the middle ear fluid of child ren with acute otitis media (639 strains) and from throat-swab samples of healthy children (149 strains) was conducted in Finland during 198 7-1990. The MICs of penicillin, cephalothin, cefaclor, erythromycin, t rimethoprim, and co-trimoxazole were determined by the agar dilution m ethod. Low-level resistance to penicillin (MIG, 0.1-1 mu g/mL) was fou nd in 1.7% of the otitis-related and 1.3% of the healthy-carrier strai ns. No highly penicillin-resistant strains (MIG, greater than or equal to 2 mu g/mL) were found. Six multiresistant strains were detected, t hree of them possibly belonging to a previously identified clone prese nt in Finland since 1985. Eighty-five percent of the resistant otitis- related strains, including 9 of the 11 moderately penicillin-resistant strains (4 of which were multiresistant), belonged to the three most common serogroups (6, 19, and 23).