Serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility of group B Streptococcus over an eight-year period in southern Taiwan

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2001 May;20(5):334-9. doi: 10.1007/s100960100505.

Abstract

The increase in penicillin resistance among pneumococci and viridans streptococci and the development of serotype-specific conjugate vaccine have increased the need for knowledge of the antimicrobial susceptibility and the capsular serotypes of group B streptococci. Over an 8-year period, 351 group B streptococcal isolates from southern Taiwan were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype determination. Eighty-seven percent of the isolates were typeable. Types III (28.5%) and V (27.1%) were the most common serotypes. The occurrence of type V isolates increased with age, while that of type III isolates decreased with age, showing a predominance in children less than 1 year of age. Of 118 isolates from cases of invasive infection, types Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, and V accounted for 12.7, 11.9, 0.8, 33, 1.7, and 26.3%, respectively. Using the agar dilution method, all isolates were found to be susceptible to penicillin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin, 99.4% to ofloxacin, 78.1% to chloramphenicol, 63.2% to azithromycin, 62.6% to erythromycin, 57.3% to clindamycin, and 2.8% to tetracycline. Chloramphenicol resistance was associated with type III isolates (59 of 100, 59%) and erythromycin and azithromycin resistance with type Ib isolates (25 of 33 176%], and 21 of 33 [64%], respectively). Thus, 72% of the isolates from invasive infections were serotype III, V, or Ia, and penicillin remains the drug of choice for treatment or prophylaxis of group B streptococcal infections in southern Taiwan, despite the high prevalence of penicillin resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae and viridans streptococci.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Resistance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Serotyping
  • Streptococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / classification*
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / drug effects*
  • Taiwan / epidemiology