OBJECTIVES:Between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2005, 232 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected in the Alsace county from participating laboratories (one from university hospital, 7 from general hospitals and 12 private laboratories) to assess their susceptibility to penicillin and evaluated serogroups of strains.METHOD:The coordinating centre performed MICs by the reference agar dilution test, interpreted according to CA-SFM breakpoints. Others antibiotics (erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline...) were tested by agar diffusion, ATB-PNEUMO gallery or VITEK gallery (BioMérieux, France) by each participating laboratory. Data were processed, using 4th dimension software.RESULTS:Strains were collected from 151 blood samples, 38 ear pus, 11 cerebrospinal fluids, 8 pleural liquids and 24 representative pulmonary samples. The prevalence of pneumococci with decreased susceptibility to penicillin G (PDSP) is 35.1% (pulmonary samples excluded). The rate of PNSP decreases for all types of samples compared with other years of surveillance 2003 (44.0%). The rate of blood samples decreases for first time between the creation of Pneumococcal Observatory. The high-level resistance tend to decrease and began low. The PDSP are rather resistant to erythromycin, cotrimoxazole and fosfomycin. Among the PDSP, the most prevalent serotypes were 14, 19, 6 and 9.CONCLUSION:Among pneumococcal strains, the rate of PDSP tend however to decrease in 2005 compared with 2003. The rate stays inferior to the observed rates in other French counties where the same decreasing is described.

Objectives. - Between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2005, 232 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected in the Alsace county from participating laboratories (one from university hospital, 7 from general hospitals and 12 private laboratories) to assess their susceptibility to penicillin and evaluated serogroups of strains.Method. - The coordinating centre performed MICs by the reference agar dilution test, interpreted according to CA-SFM breakpoints. Others antibiotics (erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline...) were tested by agar diffusion, ATB-PNEUMO gallery or VITEK gallery (BioMerieux, France) by each participating laboratory. Data were processed, using 4th dimension software.Results. - Strains were collected from 151 blood samples, 38 ear pus, 11 cerebrospinal fluids, 8 pleural liquids and 24 representative pulmonary samples. The prevalence of pneumococci with decreased susceptibility to penicillin G (PDSP) is 35.1% (pulmonary samples excluded). The rate of PNSP decreases for all types of samples compared with other years of surveillance 2003 (44.0%). The rate of blood samples decreases for first time between the creation of Pneumococcal Observatory. The high-level resistance tend to decrease and began low. The PDSP are rather resistant to erythromycin, cotrimoxazole and fosfomycin. Among the PDSP, the most prevalent serotypes were 14, 19, 6 and 9.Conclusion. - Among pneumococcal strains, the rate of PDSP tend however to decrease in 2005 compared with 2003. The rate stays inferior to the observed rates in other French counties where the same decreasing is described. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.

The detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an usual and daily test in a microbiology laboratory. But its interpretation isn't easy because the resistance expression in vitro is so variable. The authors compare five methods about 100 clinical isolated strains. The results are: disk diffusion method using oxacillin 5 microg, on a NaCl 5% Mueller Hinton agar, 100 ml presentation (biorad): specificity 91%; disk diffusion method using oxacillin 5 microg, on a NaCl 5% Mueller Hinton agar, ready to use plate (AES): specificity 95%; the Oxascreen agar (BD): specificity 96%; the oxacillin cupule of ATB STAPH strip (ATB expression bioMerieux system) NaCl 2% semi solid Mueller Hinton agar medium: specificity 100% and disk diffusion method using cefoxitin 30 microg, on a Mueller Hinton agar plate (bioMerieux): specificity 100%. Therefore the cefoxitin disk diffusion method is very interesting to make better the difference between methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensible S. aureus, in association with the ATB STAPH strip.

A study of 257 French invasive pneumococci isolated between 2000 and 2002 showed high rates of nonsusceptibility to penicillin and macrolides (50%), contrasting with a low frequency of resistance to amoxicillin or levofloxacin (<1%) and tolerance to vancomycin (0%). The genetic homogeneity of some serogroups, including serogroup 1, enhanced the risk of epidemiological changes.

Objectives - From July 1997 to June 1998, 15 microbiological laboratories, set up as a regional survey unit in Alsace, collected S. pneumoniae strains to assess their susceptibility to antibiotic agents.Method - The strains were isolated from various clinical samples (blood cultures, pulmonary samples, cerebrospinal fluid, otitis media).Results - 599 strains were collected and the prevalence of Pneumococci with a Decreased Susceptibility to Penicillin G (PDSP) reached 32.9% (197 strains, MIC > 0.06 mg/L) but included a very small percentage of high level resistance strains to penicillin G (10 strains with MIC > 1 mg/L). Amoxicillin and cefotaxime remained active (3 and 0 resistant strains, respectively). The percentage of DPSP was much higher in the isolates of children (45.3%) than in those of adults (28.2%). The PDSP were rather resistant to erythromycin (76.6%), cotrimoxazole (65.2%), and fosfomycin (18.4%). Among PDSP, the most prevalent serotypes were 23, 14, and 9.Conclusion - This epidemiological survey allowed to assess the local impact of pneumocaccal resistance to antibiotics thanks to extensive collection and study. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.