Skip to main content
Epidemiology and Infection logoLink to Epidemiology and Infection
. 1989 Feb;102(1):85–91. doi: 10.1017/s095026880002971x

A community outbreak of group A beta haemolytic streptococci with transferable resistance to erythromycin.

R J Scott 1, J Naidoo 1, N F Lightfoot 1, R C George 1
PMCID: PMC2249306  PMID: 2645155

Abstract

Erythromycin resistance amongst group A streptococci (GAS) in Great Britain is a relatively rare occurrence and outbreaks have been sporadically reported. Over an 8-month period in 1986 ten associated cases occurred in the town of Bridgewater in Somerset. Isolates were group A, type M4 and resistant to erythromycin (MIC 8 mg/l) but sensitive to lincomycin and clindamycin. Erythromycin resistance was transferable from all isolates to a group A recipient strain. No plasmid DNA could be detected in the original isolates or transconjugants.

Full text

PDF
85

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barnham M., Cole G. Erythromycin-resistant beta-haemolytic streptococci in North Yorkshire. J Infect. 1986 Sep;13(2):200–202. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(86)93205-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Clewell D. B., Franke A. E. Characterization of a plasmid determining resistance to erythromycin, lincomycin, and vernamycin Balpha in a strain Streptococcus pyogenes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1974 May;5(5):534–537. doi: 10.1128/aac.5.5.534. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clewell D. B., Gawron-Burke C. Conjugative transposons and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in streptococci. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1986;40:635–659. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.40.100186.003223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Horodniceanu T., Bougueleret L., Bieth G. Conjugative transfer of multiple-antibiotic resistance markers in beta-hemolytic group A, B, F, and G streptococci in the absence of extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid. Plasmid. 1981 Mar;5(2):127–137. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(81)90014-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Horodniceanu T., Buu-Hoï A., Le Bouguenec C., Bieth G. Narrow host range of some streptococcal R plasmids. Plasmid. 1982 Sep;8(2):199–206. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(82)90057-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hyder S. L., Streitfeld M. M. Transfer of erythromycin resistance from clinically isolated lysogenic strains of Streptococcus pyogenes via their endogenous phage. J Infect Dis. 1978 Sep;138(3):281–286. doi: 10.1093/infdis/138.3.281. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Istre G. R., Welch D. F., Marks M. I., Moyer N. Susceptibility of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus isolates to penicillin and erythromycin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1981 Aug;20(2):244–246. doi: 10.1128/aac.20.2.244. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kohn J., Hewitt J. H., Fraser C. A. Group A streptococci resistant to lincomycin. Br Med J. 1968 Mar 16;1(5593):703–703. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5593.703. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LOWBURY E. J., HURST L. The sensitivity of staphylococci and other wound bacteria to erythromycin, oleandomycin, and spiramycin. J Clin Pathol. 1959 Mar;12(2):163–169. doi: 10.1136/jcp.12.2.163. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Le Bouguenec C., Horaud T., Bieth G., Colimon R., Dauguet C. Translocation of antibiotic resistance markers of a plasmid-free Streptococcus pyogenes (group A) strain into different streptococcal hemolysin plasmids. Mol Gen Genet. 1984;194(3):377–387. doi: 10.1007/BF00425548. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Maruyama S., Yoshioka H., Fujita K., Takimoto M., Satake Y. Sensitivity of group A streptococci to antibiotics. Prevalence of resistance to erythromycin in Japan. Am J Dis Child. 1979 Nov;133(11):1143–1145. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130110051007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Walker M., Whetstone R. J., Whipp J. Erythromycin resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in Cambridge. J Infect. 1984 Jan;8(1):88–89. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(84)93570-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Yagi Y., Kessler R. E., Shaw J. H., Lopatin D. E., An F., Clewell D. B. Plasmid content of Streptococcus faecalis strain 39-5 and identification of a pheromone (cPD1)-induced surface antigen. J Gen Microbiol. 1983 Apr;129(4):1207–1215. doi: 10.1099/00221287-129-4-1207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Youngs E. R. Erythromycin resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in Merseyside. J Infect. 1984 Jan;8(1):86–87. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(84)93543-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Epidemiology and Infection are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES