[Susceptibility testing and molecular epidemiology of clinical strains of Bordetella pertussis isolated in Japan from 2001 to 2002].

We determined antimicrobial susceptibilities and analyzed molecular epidemiology of 26 strains of Bordetella pertussis clinically isolated and then performed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in Japan (Japanese Pertussis Surveillance Group Participants), from 2001 to 2002. The MICs of erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracyclines, fluoroquinorones, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and rifampicin of all isolates against these showed 1 microgram/ml or less. Sparfloxacin is the most potent agent, of which the MICs showed 0.008-0.016 microgram/ml. Results of DNA fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) differentiated three types (Type I; 11 strains (42%), type II; 14 strains (54%) and type III; 1 strains (4%)). However, no relation between regions and identical PFGE patterns was found in this study. Further, surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibilities and molecular epidemiology of B. pertussis will be required.