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Document Details : Title: High prevalence of penicillin resistance and comparative in vitro activity of various antibiotics in clinical isolates of streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in the province of Hainaut during winter 2004 Author(s): VANHOOF R, BROUILLARD J, DAMÉE S, D'HONDT N, HACCOURT A, MANSOOR I, MARCHAL JF, PHILIPPART I, TRIGAUX F, VAN BOSTERHAUT B, ROSSI C, VAN BOSSUYT E Journal: Acta Clinica Belgica Volume: 60 Issue: 6 Date: 2005 Pages: 345-349 DOI: 10.2143/ACB.60.6.2050484 Abstract : Streptococcus pneumoniae still is a major albeit often underestimated cause of upper respiratory tract infections and invasive infections such as purulent meningitis, bacteraemia and pneumonia. The microorganism can be held responsible for a high degree of morbidity and mortality. For decades, penicillin G has been considered as the drug of choice in the treatment of pneumococcal infections though the appearance of isolates insusceptible to penicillin and other antimicrobials hampered seriously its clinical efficacy. It is known that both the de novo acquisition of new genetic material and the clonal spread of resistant isolates are implied in the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in S. pneumoniae (1). High to very high rates of penicillin insusceptibility have been reported in many countries (2,3). On the other hand, and despite limited geographic differences, low rates of insusceptibility can be observed (2-4). Local geographic differences can be due to various parameters e.g. local antibiotic policies, clonal dissemination, local dissemination of resistance determinants. Microbiologists working in the province of Hainaut informed us (personal communication) on the high prevalence of penicillin-insusceptible S. pneumoniae isolates. This urged us to conduct this pilot study to see whether this high prevalence of penicillin-insusceptibility was present in the province of Hainaut. |
