Abstract
The increase in penicillin resistance among pneumococci and viridans streptococci and the development of serotype-specific conjugate vaccine have increased the need for knowledge of the antimicrobial susceptibility and the capsular serotypes of group B streptococci. Over an 8-year period, 351 group B streptococcal isolates from southern Taiwan were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype determination. Eighty-seven percent of the isolates were typeable. Types III (28.5%) and V (27.1%) were the most common serotypes. The occurrence of type V isolates increased with age, while that of type III isolates decreased with age, showing a predominance in children less than 1 year of age. Of 118 isolates from cases of invasive infection, types Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, and V accounted for 12.7, 11.9, 0.8, 33, 1.7, and 26.3%, respectively. Using the agar dilution method, all isolates were found to be susceptible to penicillin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin, 99.4% to ofloxacin, 78.1% to chloramphenicol, 63.2% to azithromycin, 62.6% to erythromycin, 57.3% to clindamycin, and 2.8% to tetracycline. Chloramphenicol resistance was associated with type III isolates (59 of 100, 59%) and erythromycin and azithromycin resistance with type Ib isolates (25 of 33 [76%], and 21 of 33 [64%], respectively). Thus, 72% of the isolates from invasive infections were serotype III, V, or Ia, and penicillin remains the drug of choice for treatment or prophylaxis of group B streptococcal infections in southern Taiwan, despite the high prevalence of penicillin resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae and viridans streptococci.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ko, W., Lee, H., Wang, L. et al. Serotyping and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Group B Streptococcus Over an Eight-Year Period in Southern Taiwan. EJCMID 20, 334–339 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s100960100505
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s100960100505