[The Pneumococcal Observatory for the Central Region, 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000]

Seven hundred and ninety six strains of pneumococcus were collected in the Centre region, from 15 laboratories, between 1st April 1999 and 31st of March 2000. Data were processed, using 4th dimension software, and concerned age, file number, consultation/hospitalisation, sample type, susceptibility to oxacillin (5 micrograms), results of the E-test for benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin, cefotaxime and results of the routine disc diffusion test. Strains with reduced susceptibility to benzylpenicillin (PRSP) were collected by the co-ordinating centre to perform MICs by the reference agar dilution test and serotyping. Out of 796 strains, 450 strains (56.7%) were categorised as PRSP and 400 of them were studied by the co-ordinating centre. Forty two percent of the samples originated from lungs, followed by 19.5% from blood samples, 15% from ear pus (85.7% PRSP) and 2.5% from CSF. Thirty nine percent of the patients were female. 36.6% were children under sixteen (70.1% PRSP) and 62.4% were adults (49.2% PRSP). Out of 400 PRSP 106 (26.5%) were characterised as resistant and 294 (73.5%) as intermediate to benzylpenicillin. Compared to the agar dilution test, 90% of the PRSP studied by E-test had a MIC value for benzylpenicillin within +/- 1 dilution. Thirty six strains of PRSP were resistant to amoxicillin (9% of the PRSP) and 10 (2.5% of the PRSP) to cefotaxime. Serotyping was done on 375 strains. The serotypes encountered were the following: 23 (26.9%), 14 (22.1%), 19 (19.5%), 6 (12.8%), 9 (9.9%) and 15 (5.1%).