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Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae
Dual resistance to macrolides and penicillin is on par with other developed nations
BACKGROUND
Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus, is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and a common cause of otitis media (middle-ear infections) and bacterial meningitis. The bacterium strikes primarily pediatric populations and, to a lesser extent, elderly patients.
Although life-threatening conditions are usually resolved with penicillin or a macrolide, treatment can pose a serious challenge when an infection is resistant to both classes. Such instances are more likely to occur when a strain is resistant to penicillin. Although vaccination decreased the incidence of pneumococcal disease, particularly in the early 2000s, in the long run the vaccine appears to have caused a shift in strains and a compensatory resurgence in drug resistance, including the multidrug-resistant 19A strain.
U.S. RESISTANCE IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT
RESISTANCE BY U.S. CENSUS DIVISION, 1999-2010
