Resistance Mechanisms of Multiply Resistant Pneumococci: Antibiotic Degradation Studies

Strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae resistant to penicillin have been reported from several countries around the world. Many South African isolates, in addition, exhibit resistance to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, clindamycin, and cotrimoxazole in varying patterns. A qualitative test of the ability of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci to inactivate penicillin, oxacillin, cephalothin, cefoxitin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, minocycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, streptomycin, gentamicin, and cotrimoxazole revealed that only chloramphenicol was degraded. This finding was confirmed in a quantitative test in which the residual antimicrobial activity of broth containing chloramphenicol in subinhibitory concentrations was determined after incubation with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Chloramphenicol resistance was shown to be associated with the production of inducible chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. No beta-lactamase activity was demonstrated. Plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid was not demonstrable in partially purified lysates of antibiotic-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae.