Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Bacteroides fragilis Group Organisms Recovered from 2009 to 2012 in a Korean Hospital

BACKGROUND: Periodic monitoring of antimicrobial resistance trends of clinically important anaerobic bacteria such as Bacteroides fragilis group organisms is required. We determined the antimicrobial susceptibilities of clinical isolates of B. fragilis group organisms recovered from 2009 to 2012 in a tertiary-care hospital in Korea. METHODS: A total of 180 nonduplicate clinical isolates of B. fragilis group organisms were collected in a tertiary care hospital. The species were identified by conventional methods: the ATB 32A rapid identification system (bioMérieux, France) and the Vitek MS matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (bioMérieux). Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the CLSI agar dilution method. RESULTS: Imipenem and meropenem resistance rates were 0-6% for B. fragilis group isolates. The rate of resistance to piperacillin-tazobactam was 2% for B. fragilis and 0% for other Bacteroides species, but 17% for B. thetaiotaomicron isolates. High resistance rates to piperacillin (72% and 69%), cefotetan (89% and 58%), and clindamycin (83% and 69%) were observed for B. thetaiotaomicron and other Bacteroides spp. The moxifloxacin resistance rate was 27% for other Bacteroides spp. The MIC(50) and MIC(90) of tigecycline were 2-4 µg/mL and 8-16 µg/mL, respectively. No isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol or metronidazole. CONCLUSIONS: Imipenem, meropenem, chloramphenicol, and metronidazole remain active against B. fragilis group isolates. Moxifloxacin and tigecycline resistance rates are 2-27% and 8-15% for B. fragilis group isolates, respectively.