Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, emm type distribution and genetic diversity of Streptococcus pyogenes recovered in Brazil

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2014-11, Vol.109 (7), p.935-939
• Main Authors: Arêas, Glauber P, Schuab, Rôde B B, Neves, Felipe P G, Barros, Rosana R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antimicrobial resistance; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; epidemiological typing; Erythromycin - pharmacology; Female; genetic diversity; Genetic Variation - genetics; Genotype; Humans; Macrolides - pharmacology; Male; Middle Aged; Oropharynx - metabolism; PARASITOLOGY; Penicillin Resistance - genetics; Phenotype; Sequence Analysis, Protein - methods; Streptococcal Infections - epidemiology; Streptococcal Infections - prevention & control; Streptococcus pyogenes; Streptococcus pyogenes - classification; Streptococcus pyogenes - drug effects; Streptococcus pyogenes - genetics; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Vancomycin Resistance - genetics; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060; 1678-8060; 0074-0276
• DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276140231

Streptococcus pyogenes is responsible for a variety of infectious diseases and immunological complications. In this study, 91 isolates of S. pyogenes recovered from oropharynx secretions were submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, emm typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, penicillin G and vancomycin. Resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was 15.4%, which is higher than previous reports from this area, while 20.9% of the isolates were not susceptible to tetracycline. The macrolide resistance phenotypes were cMLSB (10) and iMLSB (4). The ermB gene was predominant, followed by the ermA gene. Thirty-two emm types and subtypes were found, but five (emm1, emm4, emm12, emm22, emm81) were detected in 48% of the isolates. Three new emm subtypes were identified (emm1.74, emm58.14, emm76.7). There was a strong association between emm type and PFGE clustering. A variety of PFGE profiles as well as emm types were found among tetracycline and erythromycin-resistant isolates, demonstrating that antimicrobial resistant strains do not result from the expansion of one or a few clones. This study provides epidemiological data that contribute to the development of suitable strategies for the prevention and treatment of such infections in a poorly studied area.