Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from a paediatric population: changes in 10 years

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Paediatrics

Background:

• Streptococcus pneumoniae causes various infections in children.
• Antibiotic susceptibility patterns and serotypes of pneumococcal strains can change over time.
• Monitoring these changes is crucial for effective treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare antibiotic susceptibility and serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains from two distinct periods (1984-1985 vs. 1994-1995).
• To identify trends in antimicrobial resistance and prevalent serotypes in paediatric isolates.
• To inform the development of alternative treatments for pneumococcal infections.

Main Methods:

• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for penicillin, cefotaxime, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol.
• Serotyping of 100 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains from each period (1984-1985 and 1994-1995).
• Comparison of resistance rates and serotype distribution between the two timeframes.

Main Results:

• Increased penicillin resistance (51% to 61%) and significant rises in cefotaxime (12% to 18%) and erythromycin (6% to 36%) resistance.
• A decrease in chloramphenicol resistance (65% to 46%).
• Serotypes 6, 19, and 23 remained prevalent, with five new serotypes detected in the later period.

Conclusions:

• A notable increase in resistance to commonly used antibiotics like erythromycin and cefotaxime was observed in Streptococcus pneumoniae strains.
• The emergence of new serotypes alongside increasing resistance highlights the dynamic nature of pneumococcal epidemiology.
• There is an urgent need to investigate and propose alternative therapeutic strategies for pediatric pneumococcal infections.