COMPARATIVE INVITRO ACTIVITIES OF SEVERAL NEW FLUOROQUINOLONES AND BETA-LACTAM ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AGAINST COMMUNITY ISOLATES OF STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE

The in vitro susceptibilities of 551 community isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from the Canadian province of Ontario to several new fluoroquinolones and β-lactam antimicrobial agents were determined by a broth microdilution technique. Eight (1.5%) of these isolates were moderately susceptible (MICs, ≥0.12 and ≤1.0 μg/ml) to penicillin; none was resistant. Temafloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin (MICs for 90% of strains tested, between 1 and 2 μg/ml) were the most active fluoroquinolones tested, and BMY-28100 (MIC for 90% of strains tested, 0.25 μg/ml) was the most active of the new β-lactams tested.