Description of two new isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Spain that are highly resistant to cefotaxime

Two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from sputum and bronchoalveolar samples with high-level resistance to cefotaxime (MIC = 8 to 16 mu g/ml) are described. One of them, belonging to serogroup 19, was also highly resistant to penicillin (MIC = 16 mu g/ml), while the other, of serogroup 14, was intermediate in its resistance to penicillin (MIC = 0.25 mu g/ml). To our knowledge, these are the first two strains to be isolated in Spain with such high levels of resistance to cefotaxime.