Antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract

Pneumococci were once among the most highly penicillin-susceptible bacteria. However, reports of multidrug-resistant strains have been published since the late 1970s. The rapid spread of resistant clones and the emergence of new variants of resistance mechanisms call for effective surveillance systems and collaboration among clinicians, scientists, the pharmaceutical industry, and regulatory and public health agencies.