Antibiotic Susceptibility and Serotype Distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Malaysian Children

Abstract

During a 1-year period between September 1984 to August 1985, a study on the aetiological agents of acute respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age was carried out in three selected hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. From this study, 250 strains (17 per cent) of pneumococci were isolated from the nasopharyngeal aspirates of 1466 children with acute respiratory infections. Isolates were tested for sensitivity to five antibiotics. A sample of 92 strains were serotyped by the specific capsular reaction. The incidence of penicillin resistance was low, only 2 per cent Resistance to erythromycin was 0.8 per cent; cephaloridine 0.4 per cent; lincomycin 3.4 per cent and tetracycline 18.4 per cent. Only two strains were resistant to more than two antibiotics tested. Pneumococci of 19 different serotypes were encountered. The commonest types were 19F, 6A, and 23F.