Macrolide resistance and genotypic characterization of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Asian countries: a study of the Asian Network for Surveillance of Resistant Pathogens (ANSORP).

Objectives: To characterize mechanisms of macrolide resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae from 10 Asian countries during 1998-2001.

Methods: Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolates and their resistance mechanisms.

Results: Of 555 isolates studied, 216 (38.