Eastern Kentucky University
Identification of Antimicrobial Resistance amongst Strains of Streptococcus Pyogenes in Kentucky
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Marcia Pierce
Abstract
One of the most frequent pathogens to infect humans is Streptococcus pyogenes. Acute diseases associated with S. pyogenes occur mostly in the respiratory tract, bloodstream, or the skin. Individuals infected with the bacteria are commonly treated by the use of an antibiotic. In this study, sixty-nine clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes were examined to identify strains that presented antimicrobial resistance. Kirby Bauer diffusion plates were used to identify resistant strains. Of the sixty-nine isolates, nine strains showed antimicrobial resistance to certain antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance to erythromycin was detected in nine of the isolates (13%), resistance to clindamycin was detected in three of the isolates (4.3%), clarithromycin resistance was detected in six isolates (8.7%), and lincomycin resistance was detected in three isolates (4.3%). No strains exhibited penicillin resistance. One strain demonstrated MLSB (macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin-B) resistance to erythromycin. Strains that demonstrated antimicrobial resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, clarithromycin, and lincomycin were further examined for the presence of the genes mefA, ermB, or ermTR by the use of Polymerase Chain Reaction techniques and electrophoresis.
Identification of Antimicrobial Resistance amongst Strains of Streptococcus Pyogenes in Kentucky
One of the most frequent pathogens to infect humans is Streptococcus pyogenes. Acute diseases associated with S. pyogenes occur mostly in the respiratory tract, bloodstream, or the skin. Individuals infected with the bacteria are commonly treated by the use of an antibiotic. In this study, sixty-nine clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes were examined to identify strains that presented antimicrobial resistance. Kirby Bauer diffusion plates were used to identify resistant strains. Of the sixty-nine isolates, nine strains showed antimicrobial resistance to certain antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance to erythromycin was detected in nine of the isolates (13%), resistance to clindamycin was detected in three of the isolates (4.3%), clarithromycin resistance was detected in six isolates (8.7%), and lincomycin resistance was detected in three isolates (4.3%). No strains exhibited penicillin resistance. One strain demonstrated MLSB (macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin-B) resistance to erythromycin. Strains that demonstrated antimicrobial resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, clarithromycin, and lincomycin were further examined for the presence of the genes mefA, ermB, or ermTR by the use of Polymerase Chain Reaction techniques and electrophoresis.