Incidence of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance amongst beta-haemolytic streptococci in The Gambia

• Published in: BMC research notes 2017-02, Vol.10 (1), p.106-106, Article 106
• Main Authors: Foster-Nyarko, Ebenezer, Kwambana, Brenda, Ceesay, Fatima, Jawneh, Kaddijatou, Darboe, Saffiatou, Mulwa, Sarah N, Ceesay, Buntung, Secka, Ousman O, Adetifa, Ifedayo, Antonio, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Child; Child, Preschool; Clindamycin; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Drug therapy; Erythromycin; Female; Gambia - epidemiology; Hemolysis; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Lincosamides - pharmacology; Macrolides - pharmacology; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Streptococcal infections; Streptococcal Infections - epidemiology; Streptococcal Infections - microbiology; Streptococcal Infections - pathology; Streptococcus pyogenes - drug effects; Streptococcus pyogenes - growth & development; Streptococcus pyogenes - isolation & purification; Streptococcus pyogenes - pathogenicity; Streptogramin B - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1756-0500; 1756-0500
• DOI: 10.1186/s13104-017-2427-x

In West Africa, penicillin, macrolide and lincosamide resistance among beta-haemolytic streptococci (BHS) isolates has rarely been described. However, such data are critical to detect and track the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Beta-haemolytic streptococci were cultured from clinical specimens from patients attending the clinic at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia (n = 217) and kept at -70 °C. Of these, 186 were revived and tested for penicillin susceptibility by disc diffusion and E-test methods, and the D-test for determination of constitutive and inducible macrolide-lincosamide (MLS ) resistance phenotypes. The majority of BHS isolates from infections were group A streptococci (GAS) (126/186, 67.7%). Of these, 16% were from invasive disease (30/186). Other BHS isolated included lancefield groups B (19, 10.2%); C (9/186, 4.8%), D (3/186, 1.6%), F (5/186, 2.7%), G (16/186, 8.6%) and non-typeable (8/186, 4.3%). Prevalence of BHS isolated from blood cultures ranges from 0% (2005) to 0.5% (2010). Most (85, 45.7%) of the isolates were from wound infections. Of the 186 BHS isolates, none was resistant to penicillin and 14 (6.1%) were resistant to erythromycin. Of these, 8 (4.3%) demonstrated constitutive MLS resistance, and 5 (2.7%) were inducible MLS resistant. All the inducible MLS isolates were GAS, and majority of the constitutive MLS isolates (6/8, 75.0%) were non-GAS. Beta-haemolytic streptococci, predominantly GAS are associated with a wide range of infections in The Gambia. It is reassuring that macrolide and lincosamide resistance is relatively low. However, monitoring of MLS resistance is necessary with the global spread of resistant BHS strains.