Susceptibility testing and molecular epidemiology of clinical strains of Bordetella pertussis isolated in Japan from 2001 to 2002

Abstract

We determined antimicrobial susceptibilities and analyzed molecular epidemiology of 26 strains of Bordetella pertussis clinically isolated and then performed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in Japan (Japanese Pertussis Surveillance Group Participants), from 2001 to 2002. The MICs of erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracyclines, fluoroquinorones, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and rifampicin of all isolates against these showed 1 microgram/ml or less. Sparfloxacin is the most potent agent, of which the MICs showed 0.008-0.016 microgram/ml. Results of DNA fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) differentiated three types (Type I; 11 strains (42%), type II; 14 strains (54%) and type III; 1 strains (4%)). However, no relation between regions and identical PFGE patterns was found in this study. Further, surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibilities and molecular epidemiology of B. pertussis will be required.