Drug resistance of 234 strains of group A Streptococcus isolated from children

  Objective   To analyze the drug resistance characteristics of group A Streptococcus isolated from children with respiratory infection in Shunyi district of Beijing.

  Methods   The throat swabs of children with scarlet fever or acute pharyngal tonsillitis were collected in Shunyi Maternal and Child Healthcare Center during 2013–2019, and a total of 234 strains of group A Streptococcus were isolated and identified. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 12 antibiotics to group A Streptococcus were tested.

  Results   All the 234 strains of group A Streptococcus were sensitive to penicillin, cefepime, cefotaxime, vancomycin, meropenem and linezolid; the resistance rates to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline were 98.29%, 97.01%, and 93.16% respectively; the resistance rates to ofloxacin, levofloxacin and chloramphenicol were 2.56%, 0.43% and 0.43% respectively; there were 8 kinds of resistance spectrums, the dominant resistance spectrum was erythromycin-clindamycin-tetracycline combined resistance, accounting for 89.74% (210/234), and the multi-drug resistance rate was 92.74% (217/234).

  Conclusion   The drug resistance rates of group A Streptococcus isolated from the respiratory tracts of sick children to macrolides, clindamycin and tetracycline remained at high levels in Shunyi, and the multi-drug resistances were serious, while group A Streptococcus was sensitive to penicillin and cephalosporins. It is still necessary to further strengthen the surveillance for group A Streptococcus and the evaluation of its drug resistance.