[Epidemiologic surveillance of streptococcus pyogenes resistances to macrolides and lincosamides]

With the changing face of modern medicine and increased use of new antimicrobial compounds against Streptococcus pyogenes, as macrolides, in recent years more strains developed new resistance to macrolides and lincosamides. This is of interest because some scientists believe that the new antibiotics policies possibly influence the rate of resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes: the pattern of resistance to macrolides is complex and involving cross or co-resistance with chemically unrelated or related agents, as lincosamides. To obtain current epidemiological data on antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pyogenes, we performed an year surveillance study: the rate of resistance to erythromycin was from 4% in October 1994 to 55% in December 1995, and in the same time clarithromycin was from 0% to 46% and clindamycin from 0% to 32%.