Association of Transposon Tn1545 with Multidrug Resistant Strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolated in Canada

S. pneumoniae is a major cause of meningitis, otitis media and pneumonia. Treatment of these infections is becoming a challenge since resistance to penicillin continues to rise worldwide. Penicillin resistance in clinical isolates was first reported in 19655 and has increased rapidly since then, particularly in eastern Europe, with some countries such as Hungary reporting rates of up to 70%8. Resistance to multiple antibiotics emerged in 19784 and also appears to be increasing. In Canada, the first multidrug-resistant strain was reported in 19836 and in a survey carried out in 1989, 11 of 551 (1.5%) isolates were penicillin- resistant with only a few demonstrating reduced susceptibility to multiple agents9. In a recent study, the prevalence of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae isolated from community and teaching hospitals across Canada, had increased to 9.5%7.