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Multicentre surveillance of the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of macrolide resistance among pharyngeal isolates of group A streptococci in the USA.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Green, MD; Beall, B; Marcon, MJ; Allen, CH; Bradley, JS; Dashefsky, B; Gilsdorf, JR; Schutze, GE; Smith, C; Walter, EB; Martin, JM; Wald, ER ...
Published in: J Antimicrob Chemother
June 2006

OBJECTIVES: Rates of macrolide resistance in group A streptococci (GAS) were reported to be low in the US in the 1990s. However, we documented an unexpectedly high rate of macrolide resistance among GAS in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2001 and 2002. In an effort to define the current prevalence of macrolide-resistant GAS in the US, a multicentre surveillance project was initiated. METHODS: Between October 2002 and May 2003, 50 pharyngeal GAS isolates per month were requested from each of the nine participating sites representing a wide geographical distribution. Standard susceptibility testing was performed and the macrolide resistance phenotype was assessed using double-disc diffusion testing. Monthly and annual rates of macrolide resistance were calculated for each site. An adjusted overall rate of macrolide resistance was determined to account for differences in the numbers of GAS isolates sent from each centre. RESULTS: Overall, 171 of the 2797 collected isolates of GAS (6.1%) were resistant to erythromycin. The adjusted overall resistance rate was 5.2%. Rates of macrolide resistance varied by site (range 3.0-8.7%) and also by month (<2% to >10%). The M phenotype of macrolide resistance accounted for >60% of all macrolide-resistant isolates recovered in this study. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest an increasing prevalence and broad geographical distribution of macrolide-resistant GAS in the US, indicating the need for ongoing local and national longitudinal surveillance to define the extent of this problem.

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Published In

J Antimicrob Chemother

DOI

ISSN

0305-7453

Publication Date

June 2006

Volume

57

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1240 / 1243

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Streptococcus pyogenes
  • Streptococcal Infections
  • Prevalence
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pharynx
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Methyltransferases
 

Citation

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Green, M. D., Beall, B., Marcon, M. J., Allen, C. H., Bradley, J. S., Dashefsky, B., … Wald, E. R. (2006). Multicentre surveillance of the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of macrolide resistance among pharyngeal isolates of group A streptococci in the USA. J Antimicrob Chemother, 57(6), 1240–1243. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkl101
Green, Michael D., Bernard Beall, Mario J. Marcon, Coburn H. Allen, John S. Bradley, Barry Dashefsky, Janet R. Gilsdorf, et al. “Multicentre surveillance of the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of macrolide resistance among pharyngeal isolates of group A streptococci in the USA.J Antimicrob Chemother 57, no. 6 (June 2006): 1240–43. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkl101.
Green MD, Beall B, Marcon MJ, Allen CH, Bradley JS, Dashefsky B, et al. Multicentre surveillance of the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of macrolide resistance among pharyngeal isolates of group A streptococci in the USA. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2006 Jun;57(6):1240–3.
Green, Michael D., et al. “Multicentre surveillance of the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of macrolide resistance among pharyngeal isolates of group A streptococci in the USA.J Antimicrob Chemother, vol. 57, no. 6, June 2006, pp. 1240–43. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/jac/dkl101.
Green MD, Beall B, Marcon MJ, Allen CH, Bradley JS, Dashefsky B, Gilsdorf JR, Schutze GE, Smith C, Walter EB, Martin JM, Edwards KM, Barbadora KA, Wald ER. Multicentre surveillance of the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of macrolide resistance among pharyngeal isolates of group A streptococci in the USA. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2006 Jun;57(6):1240–1243.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Antimicrob Chemother

DOI

ISSN

0305-7453

Publication Date

June 2006

Volume

57

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1240 / 1243

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Streptococcus pyogenes
  • Streptococcal Infections
  • Prevalence
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pharynx
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Methyltransferases