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Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from a paediatric population: changes in 10 years
1Microbiology Service, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae has increased, particularly to erythromycin. This rise in resistant pneumococci strains necessitates exploring new therapeutic options for pediatric infections.
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.
Abstract:
Susceptibility to penicillin, cefotaxime, erythromycin and chloramphenicol, as well as serotypes of 100 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated between 1984 and 1985, were compared to those of the same number of strains isolated between 1994 and 1995. The strains were obtained in Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, and were thought to be the cause of a variety of infectious diseases in paediatric patients attending this centre. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of penicillin were higher in strains of the second period (51% of resistant strains during the first period vs 61% during the second one), as were those of cefotaxime (12% vs 18%) and erythromycin (6% vs 36%), while chloramphenicol MICs showed a light decrease (65% vs 46%). Serotypes 6, 19 and 23 were the most prevalent. Five new serotypes (4, 10, 18, 22 and 31) were detected in 10 penicillin-susceptible strains during the second period. Because of the increase in resistance to antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of systemic and localized infections, therapeutic alternatives must be studied and suggested in order to offer oral and percutaneous treatment for our children's infections caused by pneumococci.