Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus agalactiae strains in Monastir (Tunisia).
Method: This retrospective study included 300 strains of S. agalactiae from several pathological samples collected at the Monastir Fattouma Borguiba Hospital. The identification was based on conventional bacteriological features. Serogrouping was performed using agglutination tests. The susceptibility to antibiotics was studied according to the Antibiogram Committee of the French Society of Microbiology recommendations.
Results: S. agalactiae was mainly isolated from patients with vaginal infections (31.3%) and urinary tract infections (24.7%). All strains were susceptible to penicillin G. Resistance was mostly observed to erythromycin (38.5%) and lincomycin (36.6%). 6.5% were highly resistant to kanamycin and 0.6% to gentamicin.
Conclusion: Penicillin remains the most effective antibiotic, but resistance to other antibiotics is emerging. This justifies the routine studying of antimicrobial susceptibility in S. agalactiae stains.