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Resistance patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae from children in central Italy
M P Ronchetti1, F Guglielmi, L Latini
1Department of Infectious Diseases, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains are common in Italian children. Many multiply resistant strains remain susceptible to penicillin, a concerning trend also seen in the Mediterranean region.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of childhood infections.
- Antibiotic resistance in S. pneumoniae is a growing global health concern.
- Understanding resistance patterns in pediatric populations is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from young children in central Italy.
- To identify the prevalence of antibiotic resistance, including penicillin and multidrug resistance.
- To compare findings with previously reported resistance patterns in other regions.
Main Methods:
- Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from children aged 3-5 years attending day-care centers and outpatient clinics.
- 121 S. pneumoniae isolates were tested for susceptibility to seven common antibiotics: penicillin, cefotaxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole.
- Resistance patterns, including multidrug resistance, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of penicillin-resistant (14%) and erythromycin-resistant (60%) strains was observed.
- Over half (53%) of the isolates were multiply resistant to the tested antibiotics.
- Notably, 76.6% of multiply resistant strains were susceptible to penicillin, with 28 serogroup 6 strains showing resistance to multiple agents.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights a significant burden of antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae in young Italian children.
- The emergence of penicillin-susceptible, yet multidrug-resistant strains, particularly serogroup 6, is an unusual and concerning finding for Italy.
- These resistance characteristics resemble those recently identified in child carriers in the eastern Mediterranean area, suggesting potential epidemiological links.
Abstract:
Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from children aged 3-5 years in central Italy who were attending day-care centres or hospital outpatient clinics. One hundred and twenty-one strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated were tested for susceptibility to penicillin, cefotaxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole. A high prevalence of penicillin-resistant (14%), erythromycin-resistant (60%) and multiply resistant strains (53%) were found. An unusual finding was that 49 of the 64 (76.6%) multiply resistant strains were penicillin-susceptible, 28 serogroup 6 strains also being resistant to the other antibiotics tested. Such strains have not previously been reported from Italy but have the same features as strains recently found in child carriers in the eastern Mediterranean area.