INVITRO SUSCEPTIBILITIES OF BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS AND BORDETELLA-PARAPERTUSSIS TO 6 NEW ORAL CEPHALOSPORINS

Of six new oral cephalosporins, cefixime and cefpodoxime were the most active (MIC for 90% of isolates tested [MIC90], 16 μg/ml) against Bordetella pertussis, followed by cefetamet, cefproazil, and loracarbef (LY163892) (MIC90, 64 μg/ml) and ceftibuten (MIC90, 128 μg/ml). Against Bordetella parapertussis, loracarbef was more active (MIC90, 32 μg/ml) than the other compounds tested (MIC90s, 64 to > 128 μg/ml). The new oral cephalosprins are unlikely to play a role in pertussis treatment.