Susceptibility of streptomycin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains to amikacin.

A total of 585 Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated during a three-year period in Sweden were tested for in vitro susceptibility to amikacin in comparison with streptomycin. Resistance to streptomycin was seen in 27 of the isolates (4.6%). These isolates had been obtained from 22 patients, a majority of which were non-European immigrants. All but one of the streptomycin-resistant isolates were susceptible to amikacin. None of 263 streptomycin-susceptible isolates tested was resistant to amikacin. Amikacin appears to be an alternative to streptomycin in the treatment of patients with streptomycin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.