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Neisseria meningitidis with decreased susceptibility to penicillin in Istanbul, Turkey

Metin Punar1, Haluk Eraksoy, A Atahan Cagatay

  • 1Department of Clinical Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Capa, Turkey.

Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
|March 5, 2002
PubMed

Insights

This study found high penicillin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis isolates in Istanbul, Turkey. Surveillance is crucial to monitor antimicrobial susceptibility trends and prevent therapeutic challenges from resistant meningococcal strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Neisseria meningitidis is a significant cause of bacterial meningitis.
  • Decreased susceptibility to penicillin in N. meningitidis can complicate treatment.
  • Monitoring antimicrobial resistance patterns is essential for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the prevalence of decreased penicillin susceptibility in N. meningitidis isolates from Istanbul, Turkey.
  • To assess resistance to cefotaxime in conjunction with penicillin.
  • To highlight the importance of ongoing antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 30 N. meningitidis isolates from clinical cases and nasopharyngeal carriers over one year.
  • Utilized the E-test method to determine Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for penicillin and cefotaxime.
  • Categorized isolates based on established susceptibility breakpoints for penicillin.

Main Results:

  • An overall decreased susceptibility to penicillin was observed in 43% (13/30) of isolates.
  • Higher rates of decreased susceptibility were found in nasopharyngeal isolates (61%) compared to clinical isolates (17%).
  • MIC values for resistant isolates ranged from 0.094 to 1.0 microg/ml.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of N. meningitidis isolates in Istanbul exhibit decreased susceptibility to penicillin.
  • Nasopharyngeal carriage may harbor a higher prevalence of penicillin-reduced susceptibility.
  • Continuous monitoring of N. meningitidis antimicrobial susceptibility is vital to anticipate and manage potential therapeutic failures.

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