Emerg Infect DiseidEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-6059Centers for Disease Control117477112631869Research ArticleFluoroquinolone resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae in Hong Kong linked to the Spanish 23F clone.HoP. L.plho@hkucc.hku.hkYamW. C.CheungT. K.NgW. W.QueT. L.TsangD. N.NgT. K.SetoW. H.University of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.Sep-Oct200175906908

Serotypes 6A/B, 19F, and 23F accounted for 73% of 140 mucosal isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Hong Kong. In pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis, a group of related patterns was shared by 14 of 15 ciprofloxacin-resistant and 12 of 16 ciprofloxacin-susceptible isolates. These strains exhibited capsular switching and were highly similar to the Spanish 23F clone.