Erythromycin-resistant pharyngeal isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes recovered in Italy

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2002 Dec;46(12):3987-90. doi: 10.1128/AAC.46.12.3987-3990.2002.

Abstract

Three classes of macrolide resistance phenotypes and three different erythromycin resistance determinants were found among 127 erythromycin-resistant group A streptococcal (GAS) isolates recovered from 355 (35.8%) pediatric pharyngitis patients in Rome, Italy. According to emm and sof sequence typing results, erythromycin-resistant isolates comprised 11 different clonal types. Remarkably, 126 of the 127 macrolide-resistant isolates were serum opacity factor (sof) gene positive. These data suggest a strong association between macrolide resistance and the presence of sof among GAS isolates recovered from Italian pediatric pharyngitis patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Erythromycin / classification*
  • Erythromycin / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Pharynx / microbiology*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / drug effects
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics*

Substances

  • Erythromycin