Resistance patterns of lower respiratory tract pathogens in Europe

Resistance to antimicrobial drugs in the major respiratory tract pathogens is known to Vary profoundly depending on geographic location. In Europe hig h rates (> 44%) of penicillin-resistance in pneumococci have been recorded in France and Spain, while countries like The Netherlands, the Czech Republ ic, Austria and Italy are only marginally affected. Similarly, the incidenc e of macrolide resistance differs widely among European nations with figure s ranging from 45.9% (France) to 1.5% (The Netherlands). Significant percen tages (> 20%) of co-trimoxazole and doxycycline resistance have been found in France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland and Belgium. The prevailing mechan ism of resistance in Haemophilus influenzae is represented by beta -lactama se synthesis for which considerable variations (from 0 to 38.5%) have been evidenced. Ampicillin resistant beta -lactamase negative H. influenzae are very uncommon. Over 90% of Moraxella catarrhalis isolates are beta -lactama se producers without big differences among European countries. (C) 2000 Els evier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights re served.