Antibiotic resistance among recent clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae in Japanese children

Abstract From January 1997 to July 1999, a total of 867 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae were recovered in the microbiology laboratory of Chiba Children’s Hospital. The overall prevalence of β-lactamase production was 12.8%. Ampicillin-MICs for all of the 111 β-lactamase-producing isolates was ≥4 μg/ml. A total of 26 β-lactamase-negative isolates (3.4% of all β-lactamase-negative isolates and 3.0% of all isolates) were found to be resistant to ampicillin. The prevalence of β-lactamase negative ampicillin-resistant strains (BLNAR) increased remarkably to 8.9% during the last 7-month period. It is noteworthy that the MICs not only of penicillins but also of cephems for BLNAR were significantly higher than those for ampicillin-susceptible isolates. Eight β-lactamase-producing isolates of H. influenzae (7.2% of all β-lactamase-producing isolates) were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMPC/CVA). Consequently, the overall resistance to ampicillin was 15.8%, and that to AMPC/CVA was 3.0%. The results of this study corroborate the findings of previous investigators in the US (Doern et al., 1997) regarding the emergence of BLNAR and β-lactamase-producing AMPC/CVA-resistant strains (BLPACR) of H. influenzae . Continued monitoring of susceptibility trends will be required to guide appropriate chemotherapy.