The decline of pneumococcal resistance after cessation of mass antibiotic distributions for trachoma.

Haug, Sara; Lakew, Takele; Habtemariam, Gabremaskal; Alemayehu, Wondu; Cevallos, Vicky; Zhou, Zhaoxia; House, Jenafir; Ray, Kathryn et al. · Clin Infect Dis · 2010

prospective_cohort · Level II

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Abstract

After 6 biannual mass distributions of oral azithromycin for trachoma in Ethiopian communities, 76.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.3%-85.1%) of nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from children aged 1-5 years were resistant to macrolides. Twelve and 24 months after the last azithromycin treatment, resistance decreased to 30.6% (95% CI, 18.8%-40.4%; P <.001 ) and 20.8% (95% CI, 12.7%-30.7%; P < .001), respectively. Macrolide resistance decreases after antibiotic pressure is removed.

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