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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2002, p. 4357-4359, Vol. 40, No. 11
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.11.4357-4359.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

High Rate of Transmission of Penicillin-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae between Parents and Children

Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki and,¹ Sugita Otorhinolaryngologic Clinic, Chiba, Japan²

Received 23 May 2002/ Returned for modification 1 July 2002/ Accepted 5 August 2002

Transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae between children and their parents was evaluated in 29 pairs from 25 families. The serotypes of 35 pneumococcal isolates from 18 (62.1%) of 29 child-parent pairs were identical. Of the 35 isolates, 23 showed intermediate resistance and 10 were fully resistant to penicillin G. PCR indicated that all 35 strains had at least one alteration in penicillin-binding protein genes pbp1a, pbp2x, and pbp2b and 33 strains had macrolide resistance genes mef(A) and/or erm(B). As a result, the PCR patterns of 16 of 18 pairs were identical. Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that 12 pairs were indistinguishable, 3 pairs were closely related, 2 pairs were possibly related, and only one pair was different. Our data indicate the presence of a high rate of transmission of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae between children and their parents.

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