TABLE 1.

Evolution of resistance, phenotypes, and related serotypes of erythromycin-resistant pneumococci

Yr	Total no. of isolates	Overall rate (%)			No. of Eryr isolates	% Isolates of the following phenotype
		Eryra	Phenotype			M	MLSB
			MLSB	Mb		Totalb		Serotype14b
1998	1,844	35.7	34.5	1.2	658	3.3	1.2	96.7
1999	2,664	34.5	33.3	1.2	919	3.5	1.5	96.5
2000	2,676	34.8	33.6	1.2	931	3.3	1.9	96.7
2001	2,546	35.5	33.6	1.9	904	5.4	3.7	94.6
2002	2,831	36.2	33.5	2.7	1,025	7.4	4.8	92.6
2003	2,523	30.0	27.3	2.7	757	8.9	5.8	91.1
Total	15,084	34.4	32.6	1.8	5,194	5.3	3.2	94.7

^aEry^r, erythromycin resistant.

^bStatistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in the rates from 1998 to 2003.