A multicentre resistance surveillance study [Community-Acquired Respiratory Tract Infection Pathogen Surveillance (CARTIPS)] investigating the susceptibilities of 2963 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and Streptococcus spp. from Asia against 12 antimicrobial agents was undertaken from 2009 to 2010. Based on the breakpoints for oral penicillin V recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, the prevalence of penicillin-non-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PNSSP) ranged from 46% to 100%. Azithromycin and clarithromycin exhibited variable resistance rates of 0-88% against S. pneumoniae, 0-57% against MSSA and 0-76.5% against Streptococcus spp. isolates. The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae varied from 5.1% to 58.5%. β-Lactamase production rates amongst H. influenzae isolates ranged from 15% to 46.6% and amongst M. catarrhalis isolates from 90% to 100%. Amongst M. catarrhalis isolates, macrolide resistance and cefaclor resistance rates of 5.8% and 1.2%, respectively, were found, mainly in Mainland China. Levofloxacin resistance rates of 0-3.9% with a MIC(90) (minimum inhibitory concentration causing inhibition of 90% of isolates) of 1-2mg/L and moxifloxacin resistance rates of 0-1.7% with a MIC(90) of 0.125-0.5mg/L were found amongst PNSSP isolates. Moxifloxacin was very active against Streptococcus spp., H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis isolates, with MIC(90) values of 0.125-0.25, 0.032-0.5 and 0.064-0.125mg/L, respectively. These results from the CARTIPS study have confirmed some significant regional differences in the antimicrobial susceptibilities of S. pneumoniae, MSSA, K. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and Streptococcus spp. and emphasise the importance of antimicrobial surveillance programmes for guiding empirical therapy and for focusing interventional control of antimicrobial resistance in distinct geographic areas.
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