Characterization of levofloxacin non-susceptible clinical Streptococcus pyogenes isolated in the central part of Italy

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2014 Feb;33(2):241-4. doi: 10.1007/s10096-013-1950-5. Epub 2013 Sep 5.

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence, genetics, and clonality of fluoroquinolone non-susceptible isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes in the central part of Italy. S. pyogenes strains (n = 197) were isolated during 2012 from patients with tonsillopharyngitis, skin, wound or invasive infections and screened for fluoroquinolone non-susceptibility (resistance to norfloxacin and levofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 2 mg/L) following EUCAST guidelines. First-step topoisomerase parC and gyrA substitutions were investigated using sequencing analysis. Clonality was determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE; SmaI digestion) and by emm typing. The fluoroquinolone non-susceptible phenotype was identified in 18 isolates (9.1 %) and correlated with mutations in parC, but not in gyrA, the most frequent leading to substitution of the serine at position 79 with an alanine. Most of the fluoroquinolone non-susceptible isolates belonged to the emm-type 6, even if other emm-types were also represented (emm75, emm89, and emm2). A significant level of association was measured between PFGE and both emm type and substitutions in parC. The prevalence of fluoroquinolone non-susceptible Streptococcus pyogenes isolates in Italy is of concern and, although the well-known emm type 6 is dominant, other types are appearing and spreading.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA Gyrase / genetics
  • DNA Topoisomerase IV / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Levofloxacin / pharmacology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Typing
  • Prevalence
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Streptococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / classification
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / drug effects*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Levofloxacin
  • DNA Topoisomerase IV
  • DNA Gyrase