Spectrum of activity of azithromycin

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Abstract
In recent years, a number of newer macrolides have been developed. One such antibiotic is azithromycin, which has a 15-membered ring structure and is classed as an azalide. The limitations of erythromycin and the discovery of pathogenic bacteria such asCampylobacter, Legionella andChlamydia species provide incentives to study the usefulness of newer antibiotics of this class. Azithromycin has good activity against staphylococci, streptococci,Moraxella catarrhalis and other rapidly growing pyogenic bacteria. The good activity of azithromycin againstHaemophilus influenzae (MIC90 0.5 mg/l) is particularly important as erythromycin has only marginal activity against this organism. Azithromycin has also been shown to be more potent than the macrolides againstEnterobacteriaceae. In common with erythromycin and tetracycline, the agent has good activity againstLegionella, Chlamydia andCampylobacter. Opportunistic infections involvingToxoplasma gondii andPneumocystis carinii are an increasing problem and azithromycin is particularly interesting in view of its activity against these difficult-to-treat organisms.

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