[Evolution of Streptococcus pneumoniae antibiotic resistance in Abidjan: update on nasopharyngeal carriage, from 1997 to 2001].

UNLABELLED: The emerging antibiotic resistance and worldwide diffusion of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains is an important public health problem.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to study the evolution of S. pneumoniae resistance rates to penicillin G and other antimicrobials from nasopharyngeal carriage.

METHOD: Four hundred and eighty-two nasopharyngeal samples of S. pneumoniae were studied from 1997 to 2001. The Kirby-Bauer technique was used to screen the susceptibility of samples and completed with the determination of penicillin G minimal inhibitory concentration using the E-test.

RESULTS

Resistance to penicillin increased from 1997 to 2001: 8.5% in 1997, 20.7% in 1998, 16% in 1999, and 23.5% in 2001. However, the resistance to other beta-lactam antibiotics was low. The rate of resistance to cotrimoxazole increased from 52.2% in 1997 to 84.3% in 2001, with a higher degree of resistance in 2001. The resistance of S. pneumoniae to tetracycline increased. In contrast, the prevalence of erythromycin-resistant pneumococcal samples decreased from 11.6% in 1997 to 8% in 2001. The resistance to three or more antibiotics (multi-drug resistant) was also increased from 9.4% in 1997 to 23.5% in 2001.

CONCLUSION

This data shows that carriage of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci is increasing in Abidjan. It will be interesting to assess the current bacterial resistance patterns by a national epidemiological observatory.