Cm. Brandt et al., Macrolide resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from throat infections in the region of Aachen, Germany, MICROB DR R, 7(2), 2001, pp. 165-170
Macrolide-resistance was assessed in 216 consecutive Streptococcus pyogenes
isolates from throat infections in the region of Aachen, Germany. Seventee
n isolates were resistant to erythromycin: 12 isolates revealed a macrolide
(M) phenotype and harbored mefA, and five strains expressed an inducible m
acrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) phenotype of which four strains
harbored ermA(TR) and one strain contained ermB(AM), Telithromycin (HMR 36
47) and quinupristin/dalfopristin remained active particularly against the
ermA(TR)-containing S, pyogenes isolates studied. Random amplified polymorp
hic DNA analysis identified multiple clones among erythromycin-resistant st
rains, but did not discriminate beyond the emm-type, mefA was present in th
ree isolates either with emm2, emm12, or emm75, and in nine isolates with e
mm4. All four strains with ermA(TR) contained emm77, and the single strain
with ermB(AM) harbored emm1, Despite the relative low rate of macrolide-res
istance, these data suggest that at least three different macrolide-resista
nce determinants are prevalent in Germany and that mefA has spread rapidly
into multiple clones of S, pyogenes.