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Bacitracin-resistant clone of Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from pharyngitis patients in Belgium

Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar1, Shuang Wang, Christine Lammens

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University of Antwerp (UIA), Antwerp, Belgium. surbhi@uia.ac.be

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|November 8, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Sixteen bacitracin-resistant Streptococcus pyogenes isolates were found in Belgium. This emergence of a resistant clone challenges the use of bacitracin susceptibility testing for identifying Streptococcus pyogenes.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus) is a common cause of pharyngitis.
  • Bacitracin susceptibility testing is a standard method for presumptive identification of S. pyogenes.
  • Emerging antibiotic resistance can impact diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the emergence of bacitracin resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes isolates.
  • To investigate the characteristics of these resistant isolates, including macrolide resistance.
  • To assess the implications of bacitracin resistance on S. pyogenes identification.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and identification of Streptococcus pyogenes from pharyngitis patients.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, including bacitracin and macrolides.
  • Molecular analysis to detect resistance genes, such as erm(B).
  • emm typing to characterize the bacterial isolates.

Main Results:

  • Sixteen bacitracin-resistant S. pyogenes isolates were identified.
  • Fourteen of these isolates belonged to the emm28 type.
  • All 16 isolates exhibited constitutive resistance to macrolides and carried the erm(B) gene.

Conclusions:

  • The emergence of a bacitracin-resistant S. pyogenes clone, particularly emm28, is a significant finding.
  • Co-resistance to macrolides, mediated by erm(B), is present in these isolates.
  • The reliability of bacitracin susceptibility testing for S. pyogenes identification may be compromised.

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