Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents in Latin America - The giant is awakening

Resistant bacteria are emerging in Latin America as a real threat to the fa vorable outcome of infections in community- and hospital-acquired infection s. Despite present extensive surveillance, healthcare workers who most need the information may be unaware of this growing problem. Outbreaks of menin gococci with diminished susceptibility to penicillin have been reported in the region; a constant increase of resistance to penicillin in pneumococci and poor activity of commonly used oral antibiotics for the treatment of co mmunity-acquired urinary tract infections have made the treatment of these infections more difficult. Reports from tertiary hospitals are similar to m any other areas of the world, with increasing frequency of Klebsiella pneum oniae-carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, multiresistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanni in ICU settings, and repo rts of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. A surveillance network readily accessible to those who prescr ibe antibiotics in Latin America is highly desirable.