Antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in 1999 and 2000 in Madrid, Spain: a multicentre surveillance study

Resistance to first-line antimicrobial agents in Streptococcus pneumoniae i s increasing worldwide and the new fluoroquinolones may provide a good alte rnative. The antimicrobial susceptibility to levofloxacin and 13 other anti biotics of 300 isolates of S. pneumoniae, isolated in the Madrid community in 1999 and 2000, was determined. A total of 65.6% of isolates were penicil lin intermediate or resistant strains. A high percentage of resistance to m acrolides, clindamycin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol was also observed, mainly in penicillin-resistant strains. All but one strain was susceptible to levofloxacin.