Hidden Epidemic of Macrolide-resistant Pneumococci

• Main Authors: Keith P. Klugman, John R. Lonks
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2005-06-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Macrolides; Community-acquired infections; Treatment failure; United States
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/6/05-0147_article

Community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs) account for a substantial proportion of outpatient antimicrobial drug prescriptions worldwide. Concern over the emergence of multidrug resistance in pneumococci has largely been focused on penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. Macrolide antimicrobial drugs have been widely used to empirically treat community-acquired RTIs because of their efficacy in treating both common and atypical respiratory pathogens, including S. pneumoniae. However, increased macrolide use has been associated with a global increase in pneumococcal resistance, which is leading to concern over the continued clinical efficacy of the macrolides to treat community-acquired RTIs. We provide an overview of macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae and assess the impact of this resistance on the empiric treatment of community-acquired RTIs.