Prevalence and molecular mechanism of macrolide resistance in β-haemolytic streptococci in The Netherlands

Van Leer Buter, C.C.; Mouton, J.W.; Klaassen, C.H.W.; Handgraaf, C.M.A.; Sunnen, S.; Melchers, W.J.G.; Sturm, P.D.J.

doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2010.02.010

« Previous Next »International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
Volume 35, Issue 6 , Pages 590-592, June 2010

Prevalence and molecular mechanism of macrolide resistance in β-haemolytic streptococci in The Netherlands

C.C. Van Leer Buter
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +31 24 361 0602.
J.W. Mouton
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
C.H.W. Klaassen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
C.M.A. Handgraaf
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
S. Sunnen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
W.J.G. Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
P.D.J. Sturm
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Received 4 August 2009; accepted 10 February 2010. published online 30 March 2010.

Abstract

The prevalence of resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin as well as the presence of the resistance genes mef(A), mef(E), erm(A) and erm(B) were determined in 1076 consecutive isolates of β-haemolytic streptococci of Lancefield groups A (n=219), B (n=562),C (n=58) and G (n=237) collected during 2005 and 2006. The prevalence of macrolide resistance was highest in group C streptococci (6.9%), followed by group B (5.3%), group G (4.6%) and group A (1.4%). Eighty-eight percent of resistance was mediated by erm(A) and erm(B) genes. Macrolide resistance in β-haemolytic streptococci in The Netherlands is low, but increasing macrolide resistance was observed in group B streptococci.