Antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae, in Brie (France), during 1999

Objectives - The authors had for aim to study antimicrobial resistance of S treptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in the French Brie region during 1 999. Method - From February 1999 to February 2000, nine microbiology hospital la boratories in "Seine et Marne" studied the antimicrobial resistance of Stre ptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from various clinical samples (blood cultures, respiratory samples, cerebrospinal fluid, otitis). Results - 378 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected: 169 (45%) in adults and 209 (55%) in children. The global prevalence of penicillin r esistant S. pneumoniae was 61%. This prevalence was higher in children (70% ) than in adults (48%), higher in pediatric otitis (68%) than in adults blo od cultures (44%). The prevalence of high-level resistance strains to penic illin G, amoxicillin and cefotaxime was not elevated (22%, 2% and 0,2% resp ectively). Resistance to other antibiotics was high: erythromycin: 66%, tet racycline: 38%, chloramphenicol: 29%, cotrimoxazole: 49%. The most prevalen t serotypes were found in adults: 14, 23, 9 and in children: 19, 23, 6. Com parison with results of the same study made in 1997 shows an increase of re sistance. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.