Resistance study of community respiratory pathogens isolated in China from 2005 to 2007

Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial resistance of community respiratory pathogens isolated in China.

Methods: The strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, S. pyogenes were isolated from patients with community-acquired respiratory tract infections at 14 Chinese hospitals from 2005 to 2007. Etest and disk diffusion methods were used to survey the susceptibility of 14 antibiotics against these strains. These antibiotics included penicillin G, ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefaclor, cefprozil, ceftriaxone, cefepime, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, clindamycin, erythromycin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT).

Results: A total of 1870 strains were collected including S. pneumoniae (n = 997), S. pyogenes (n = 176), H. influenzae (n = 499) and M. catarrhalis (n = 198). The 2005 - 2007 prevalence of penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PSSP) were 92.6%, 73.9%, 74.1% and penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP) 4.5%, 9.5%, 14.3% and penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) 2.9%, 16.6%, 11.6% respectively. 36.9% of S. pneumoniae strains isolated from or= 92.9%.

Conclusions: Antimicrobial resistance in S. pneumoniae is rising. The prevalence of PNSSP isolated from children < or = 6 years old is higher than other age groups. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone, cefepime, gatifloxacin and levofloxacin remain highly active against common community respiratory pathogens.