Molecular characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of fluoroquinolone-resistant or -susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae from Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT

Fluoroquinolone resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from Hong Kong as part of Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin 1999/2000 was found to be due to the spread of the Spain(23F)-1 clone (mainly a Spain(23F)-1-14 variant). All the isolates were multidrug resistant but were susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, and telithromycin. The Spain(23F)-1 clone also occurred among antimicrobial-susceptible isolates, which suggests that the primary source of this clone may have been Asia rather than Iberia.