Macrolide-Resistant Shigella sonnei

Abstract

Shigella sonnei UCN59, isolated during an outbreak of S. sonnei in January 2007, was resistant to azithromycin (MIC 64 mg/L). The isolate contained a plasmid-borne mph(A) gene encoding a macrolide 2′-phosphotransferase that inactivates macrolides. Emergence of the mph(A) gene in S. sonnei may limit usefulness of azithromycin for treatment of shigellosis.

Keywords

• Antibiotic resistance
• shigellosis
• surveillance
• outbreak
• azithromycin
• dispatch