Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Aquitaine in 2001

Objective. - We aimed to assess the level of S. pneumoniae resistance to antibiotics in Aquitaine. Method. - In 2001, 19 microbiological laboratories collected a total of 716 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Results. - Nineteen per cent were isolated from children under 6 years of age and 60% from adults above 40 years of age. The percentage of strains isolated from the blood of patients above 80 years of age was the highest (38%). In pulmonary samples the highest percentage was found in patients between 40 and 80 years of age (71-75%) and from OMA in children under 6 years of age. Serotypes 19,14, and 23 were the most frequent (18, 16.6 and 14.6%). The serotypes selected in the heptavalent vaccine covered 70% of the isolates. Out of the 716 isolates, 59% showed a decreased susceptibility to penicillin G, 21% of the strains were strongly resistant to penicillin but only 1.1% to amoxicillin and none to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. The rate of resistance to non beta-lactams agents were as follows: erythromycin 61.5%, tetracycline 27%, and cotrimoxazole 34.6%. No resistance to vancomycin was observed and resistance to rifampicin remained very rare (0.2%). Eleven (2.2%) of the 504 studied strains were resistant to fluoroquinolones. Comments. - Old age, male sex, and hospitalization seemed to be risk factors leading to selection of these strains. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.