Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of selected invasive pathogens from public sector hospitals in South Africa, 2007

Retrospective antibiotic surveillance data of selected invasive pathogens isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid at public sector hospitals in South Africa in 2007 are presented. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined according to the 2007 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae remains a highly resistant pathogen, with approximately half of all strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. All laboratories reported considerable resistance among Acinetobacter spp. Approximately 50-60% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from blood were resistant to cloxacillin. Among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from blood and cerebrospinal fluid, resistance to penicillin ranged from 0% to 6% at most laboratories and 16-42% of isolates were classified with intermediate resistance to penicillin. Resistance to ceftriaxone in S. pneumoniae was rare.