Antimicrobial susceptibility and epidemiology of a worldwide collection of Chryseobacterium spp: report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (1997-2001).

Limited data are available on Chryseobacterium spp. leading to an evaluation of the patient demographics and susceptibility patterns for Chryseobacterium spp. collected in the first 5 years of the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (1997 to 2001). Fifty isolates (24 Chryseobacterium meningosepticum, 20 Chryseobacterium indologenes, two Chryseobacterium gleum, and 4 Chryseobacterium spp. isolates) were collected. The highest Chryseobacterium prevalence was detected among the elderly. The most active antimicrobials were the newer quinolones (garenoxacin, gatifloxacin, and levofloxacin, each with a MIC at which 90 percent of the isolates are inhibited [MIC(90)] of 1 micro g/ml and 98.0% susceptibility) followed by rifampin (MIC(90), 2 microg/ml and 85.7% susceptibility). Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and piperacillin-tazobactam also showed reasonable activity; vancomycin showed poor potency.