BACTERIOLOGY IN 1993

Progress of taxonomy or bacterial identification due in part to numero us techniques of molecular biology are fastly leading to a constant re vision with a more complex classification, sometimes bat understood by the clinician. Some novel bacterial species were recovered such as a novel Coryneform bacteria in acute otitis media. Nevertheless Coryneba cterium diphteriae is coming back, due to outbreak in East Europe and isolation of non toxinogenic isolated from various infections in some other countries such as France. The genus Rochalimaea (probably Barton ella in the future) including at least two species (R. henseleae et R. quintana) seems to become a real pathogen, instead of Afipia felis. P CR was performed with real success for many diagnosis purposes and det ection of resistance genes to drugs. The problems related to antibioti c resistance were more and more frequent, as well for ''easy pathogens '', or supposed so (enterococci and glycopeptides ... ) as for ''class ics'' : novel beta-lactamases, mutations of old types. The resistance of fluoroquinolones is emerging. The acquired resistance to one or sev eral drugs among mycobacteria (M. tuberculosis, M. leprae) is a novel hazardous and fascinating aspect.