Type Distribution and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Diplococcus Pneumoniae a Five‐year Study in Sydney

During a period of five years, 1965–1969, 1,252 isolates of Diplococcus pneumoniae from hospital patients and carriers were examined. Isolates were tested for sensitivity to seven antibiotics and typed by the specific capsular reaction. Pneumococci of 39 different serotypes were encountered. Types 19, 23, 6, 3, 9, 11 and 15 predominated and together these seven types formed 52·0% of the total. All “epidemic” serotypes (types 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 12) were represented and constituted 8·8% of the total. Of the pneumococci examined 95% were sensitive to all antibiotics tested. Tetracycline resistance was detected in 59 (5%) of 1,237 isolates; 45 patients (six with pneumonia) and seven carriers yielded tetracycline-resistant pneumococcl, which comprised 13 different serotypes. Pneumococci from two subjects were relatively insensitive to penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics. Resistance to chloramphenicol, erythromycin or lincomycin was not encountered.