Τίτλος:
A common clone of erythromycin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in
Greece and the UK
Γλώσσες Τεκμηρίου:
Αγγλικά
Περίληψη:
Objective To investigate the possible genetic relationship among
erythromycin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in
Greece and the UK.
Methods During 1995-97,140 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from
clinical specimens submitted to the microbiology departments of the two
main children’s hospital in Athens. All erythromycin-resistant strains
were further studied with respect to the presence of genes encoding for
the two major mechanisms of macrolide resistance, their serotypes, and
pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types, in comparison to a
previously characterized UK erythromycin-resistant clone.
Results Eleven of the 140 isolates (7.9%) were resistant to
erythromycin; nine of these were susceptible to penicillin. Serotyping
allocated seven, three and one isolates to serotypes 14, 19F and
serogroup 6, respectively. The mefA gene was detected in seven isolates
(five serotype 14 and two serotype 19F), ermB in two (one serotype 19F
and the serogroup 6 isolate), whilst in the remaining two isolates no
resistance gene could be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA showed that five Greek
serotype 14 isolates belonged to the same chromosomal type as the
serotype 14 erythromycin-resistant UK clone.
Conclusions The present study showed that erythromycin resistance among
the S. pneumoniae isolates was mostly owing to the efflux mechanism and
suggested a possible clonal spread of serotype 14 erythromycin-resistant
S. pneumoniae strains between Greece and the UK.
Συγγραφείς:
Fotopoulou, N
Tassios, PT
Beste, DV
Ioannidou, S and
Efstratiou, A
Lawrence, ER
Papaparaskevas, J
George, RC and
Legakis, NJ
Περιοδικό:
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Εκδότης:
Elsevier Sci Ltd, Exeter, United Kingdom
Λέξεις-κλειδιά:
S. pneumoniae; erythromycin resistance; serotyping; serotype 14; PFGE;
mefA; ermB
DOI:
10.1046/j.1469-0691.2003.00689.x
