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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, December 2005, p. 5069-5074, Vol. 49, No. 12
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.12.5069-5074.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Erythromycin Resistance and Genetic Elements Carrying Macrolide Efflux Genes in Streptococcus agalactiae

José María Marimón,1* Adoración Valiente,1 María Ercibengoa,1 José M. García-Arenzana,1 and Emilio Pérez-Trallero1,2

Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Donostia Paseo Dr. Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain,1 Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad del País Vasco, Paseo Dr. Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain2

Received 26 July 2005/ Returned for modification 8 September 2005/ Accepted 4 October 2005

The macrolide resistance determinants and genetic elements carrying the mef(A) and mef(E) subclasses of the mef gene were studied with Streptococcus agalactiae isolated in 2003 and 2004 from 7,084 vaginorectal cultures performed to detect carrier pregnant women. The prevalence of carriage was 18% (1,276 isolates), and that of erythromycin resistance 11.0% (129 of the 1,171 isolates studied). erm(B), erm(A) subclass erm(TR), and the mef gene, either subclass mef(A) or mef(E), were found in 72 (55.8%), 41 (31.8%), and 12 (9.3%) erythromycin-resistant isolates, while 4 isolates had more than 1 erythromycin resistance gene. Of the 13 M-phenotype mef-containing erythromycin-resistant S. agalactiae isolates, 11 had the mef(E) subclass gene alone, one had both the mef(E) and the erm(TR) subclass genes, and one had the mef(A) subclass gene. mef(E) subclass genes were associated with the carrying element mega in 10 of the 12 mef(E)-containing strains, while the single mef(A) subclass gene found was associated with the genetic element Tn1207.3. The nonconjugative nature of the mega element and the clonal diversity of mef(E)-containing strains determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis suggest that transformation is the main mechanism through which this resistance gene is acquired.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Servicio de Microbiología,Hospital Donostia, Paseo Dr. Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain. Phone: 34 94 300 7046. Fax: 34 94 300 7063. E-mail: ludvirol{at}chdo.osakidetza.net.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, December 2005, p. 5069-5074, Vol. 49, No. 12
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.12.5069-5074.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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