Strep A acquires antibiotic resistance

Doctors have long warned of bacteria's growing resistance to antibiotics. While the claims were often dismissed, a recent outbreak of antibiotic-resistant strep throat may make some people rethink their views on the severity of the issue.

The outbreak occurred at a Pittsburgh school and involved at least 46 children.

Previously, antibiotics could have easily killed the group A streptococcus involved in the outbreak. Group A streptococcus is the bacteria that results in strep throat, as well as life-threatening septic infections. However, this particular strain exhibited resistance to the widely-used antibiotic, Erythromycin. Erythromycin is used to treat people allergic to penicillin, as well as other patients. Doctors believe, however, that the streptococcus bacteria is, in fact, acquiring a resistance to drugs in the same family of antibiotics as Erythromycin, the macrolides. Macrolide drug use has increased over the past while as only one dose per day is required, rather than three.

Antibiotic resistance had previously been known to be growing in a different strain of streptococcus, one responsible for causing pneumonia. However, a recent survey of 25 states found that less than 3 percent of group A streptococcus samples exhibited resistance to Erythromycin and its relative, Azithromycin.

In 1998, Dr. Judith Martin of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Disease began tracking group A streptococcus at the private elementary school where the outbreak occurred. In January 2001, when the outbreak occurred, 48 percent of the group A strain of streptococcus found at the school was resistant. Similarly, at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 38 percent of the group A streptococcus was found to be of the resistant strain.

"It definitely went from one kid to another in the school and it also spilled over into the community- Where it started, I don't know," said Dr. Martin.

Dr. Lincoln Miller, head of the Newark infectious disease outpatient clinic at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, said "I would hazard a guess and say [this resistance is] fairly widespread."

All the children found to have the Erythromycin-resistant streptococcus strain were successfully treated with other antibiotics.