They found 59 cases of S pneumoniae infection, and of those, found nine cases of the 19A bacteria. Dr. Pichichero said in two cases it was the child's first ear infection. Two cases each were documented in the 2003-2004 and the 2004-2005 cold seasons, with the other five resistant cases documented in 2005-2006.
"If it's [the bacteria] in Rochester, it's probably in New York City or Baltimore this season," Dr. Pichichero said of the resistant strain of bacteria.
Dr. Pichichero said the first four patients had ear tubes inserted to treat the infection and the other five were successfully treated with levofloxacin, a powerful antibiotic only approved for use in adults.
Levofloxacin is sold under the brand name Levaquin by a unit of Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Pichichero urged doctors treating patients who aren't responding to antibiotics to test the ear fluid for antibiotics resistance before using Levaquin in children, otherwise it will likely generate new bacteria that's resistant to Levaquin.
Dr. Pichichero said Levaquin isn't approved for children, so it's not clear what the drug's side effects might be in people age 18 and younger.
Wyeth is currently developing a new version of Prevnar that would help protect against 13 strains of bacteria, including serotype 19A. Lili Gordon, a Wyeth spokeswoman, said the company is planning to file for regulatory approval of the vaccine in 2009.
From Jennifer Corbett Dooren WSJ jennifer.corbett-dooren@dowjones.com