ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY AND SEROTYPE DISTRIBUTION OF 240 STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE CAUSING MENINGITIS IN BELGIUM 1997-2000

AbstractCerebrospinal fluid isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, collected during the years 1997-2000 at more than 100 Belgian laboratories were studied. The 10 most common serotypes-serogroups representing 76 % of the isolates were 14, 6, 9, 19, 23, 18, 4, 10, 8 and 12 (in order of frequency). Thirty-six percent of strains were isolated in children 0.06 mg/L), with only 2.1 % resistant strains (MIC > 1 mg/L). Twelve strains showed reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime (MIC > 0.5 mg/L). Only three of the 237 strains were intermediately susceptible to meropenem. All strains were susceptible to vancomycin and moxifloxacin.In Belgium, high doses of third generation cephalosporins remain effective for the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis. The new fluoroquinolones seem the most promising agen...