The activity of the new oral cephalosporin Bay v 3522 was compared to that of six other beta-lactam agents. Bay v 3522 inhibited methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis at less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml, compared to MICs of greater than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml for the other cephalosporins tested. It was more active against Streptococcus pyogenes (MIC less than or equal to 0.06 microgram/ml) than cefuroxime, cefixime, cephalexin and cefaclor. Groups B, C and G streptococci were inhibited at less than or equal to 0.12 microgram/ml, while the MI"90 for Streptococcus bovis and viridans streptococci was 0.5 and 2 micrograms/ml, respectively. The MIC90 for enterococci and Listeria monocytogenes was 8 micrograms/ml. Clostridium perfringens was inhibited by 0.12 microgram/ml, but most Bacteroides spp. were resistant. The MIC90 for beta-lactamase positive Escherichia coli (producing primarily TEM-1) was greater than 64 micrograms/ml and for beta-lactamase negative strains 16 micrograms/ml. The MIC90 for high-level beta-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was greater than 64 micrograms/ml versus 4 micrograms/ml for other isolates. The MIC90 for Moraxella catarrhalis was 2 micrograms/ml, for Haemophilus influenzae 1 micrograms/ml, and for Neisseria gonorrhoeae 4 micrograms/ml. Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus mirabilis, Providencia spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant. Bay v 3522 was destroyed by TEM-1, SHV-1, TEM-3 and P99 beta-lactamases.