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Impact of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System on the development of a national programme to monitor resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in Ireland, 1999–2003

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Abstract

Presented here is the 5-year impact of a national antimicrobial resistance surveillance system in Ireland, which was introduced in accordance with the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS). Participation in EARSS began in Ireland in 1999. Initially, 12 laboratories serving a mix of general and tertiary hospitals participated, but by 2003, participation had increased to 28 laboratories with a population coverage of 89%. During 1999–2003, 4,146 episodes of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia were reported, and methicillin resistance was detected in 1,709 (41.2%) of these isolates. Over the same period, 1,245 invasive (blood or cerebrospinal fluid) episodes of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection were reported, and 160 (12.9%) isolates were found to be non-susceptible to penicillin, with 23 (1.8%) demonstrating high-level penicillin resistance. By 2003, most Irish hospitals were participating in EARSS, which has been a catalyst for the development of a national antimicrobial resistance surveillance programme.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the help and assistance of all EARSS participating laboratories without which this data could not be collected and analyzed

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Bon Secours Hospital, Cork, Ireland

    O. M. Murphy

  2. National Disease Surveillance Centre, 25-27 Middle Gardiner Street, Dublin, Ireland

    S. Murchan, D. Whyte, R. Cunney & D. O’Flanagan

  3. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    H. Humphreys & P. Clarke

  4. National MRSA Reference Laboratory, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    A. Rossney

  5. Department of Microbiology, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    C. Keane

  6. Department of Microbiology, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    L. E. Fenelon

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  1. O. M. Murphy
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  2. S. Murchan
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  3. D. Whyte
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  4. H. Humphreys
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  5. A. Rossney
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  6. P. Clarke
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  7. R. Cunney
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  8. C. Keane
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  9. L. E. Fenelon
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  10. D. O’Flanagan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Humphreys.

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Murphy, O.M., Murchan, S., Whyte, D. et al. Impact of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System on the development of a national programme to monitor resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in Ireland, 1999–2003. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 24, 480–483 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-1357-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-1357-z

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