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Antimicrobial resistance of respiratory pathogens in North African countries

A Benouda1, S Ben Redjeb, A Hammami

  • 1Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Hôpital Universitaire International Cheikh Zaid - Rabat - Morocco.

Journal of Chemotherapy (Florence, Italy)
|January 15, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Antimicrobial resistance is high in North Africa. Penicillin non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were common, alongside resistance in Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pyogenes, impacting respiratory tract infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Respiratory tract infections pose a significant public health challenge globally.
  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat, necessitating continuous surveillance.
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pyogenes are key respiratory pathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and S. pyogenes in North Africa.
  • To assess the susceptibility of these pathogens to commonly used antibiotics.
  • To provide data for guiding antimicrobial therapy in the region.

Main Methods:

  • Collection of 672 non-duplicate bacterial isolates from patients in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia between May 2006 and May 2007.
  • Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) using the E-test method.
  • Interpretation of MICs according to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines.

Main Results:

  • 47% of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were penicillin non-susceptible (PNSP), with 3% showing high resistance.
  • Decreased susceptibility was observed for amoxicillin (20.4%) and cefotaxime (17.4%) in S. pneumoniae.
  • 30.1% of S. pneumoniae exhibited dual resistance to penicillin and erythromycin; most isolates were susceptible to levofloxacin.
  • 13.3% of Haemophilus influenzae isolates were amoxicillin-resistant and beta-lactamase producers.
  • All H. influenzae isolates remained susceptible to cefixime, cefotaxime, and levofloxacin.
  • All Streptococcus pyogenes isolates were susceptible to beta-lactams, but 5.7% showed erythromycin resistance.
  • Five S. pyogenes isolates had decreased susceptibility to levofloxacin.

Conclusions:

  • High prevalence of penicillin non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in North African countries.
  • Significant antimicrobial resistance observed in key respiratory pathogens, necessitating updated treatment guidelines.
  • The study highlights the urgent need for regional AMR surveillance programs to combat resistance trends.

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