History of the ANSORP : The Past (1996-1997)
ANSORP was organized as the first multicountry collaborative study group in Asia for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. Organization of the ANSORP was first initiated by Prof. Jae-Hoon Song (Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan Univ., Seoul, Korea) in 1996 to perform the international surveillance studies on antimicrobial resistance in the Asian region. The initial project by the ANSORP group was the surveillance of pneumococcal resistance.
Since 1996, ANSORP has been expanding in structures and organizations.
 |
Research project (1996-1997)
The first-year
research project by the ANSORP Study Group
was the surveillance of antimicrobial
resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae in Asian countries. This was the first
organized surveillance study of the prevalence
of drug-resistant S. pneumoniae in the Asian region. For the study, a
total of 996 isolates of S. pneumoniae isolates which were consecutively
collected from clinical specimens in 14
centers in 11 Asian countries during the
period from September 1996 to June 1997
were tested.
Data revealed that preumococcal resistance
is a serious problem in some Asian cities.
Data from molecular epidemiologic studies
indicated that it may be partly due to
the spread of resistant clones within
and between Asian countries as well as
due to injudicious use of antimicrobial
agents. Continuous surveillance of pneumococcal
resistance is strongly warranted in this
region in the future. Data from the first-year
project by the ANSORP Study Group will
appear in the June 1999 issue of the Clinical
Infectious Diseases.
The first-year research project by the
ANSORP Study Group was the surveillance
of antimicrobial resistance among Streptococcus
pneumoniae in Asian countries. This was
the first organized surveillance study
of the prevalence of drug-resistant S.
pneumoniae in the Asian region. For the
study, a total of 996 isolates of S. pneumoniae
isolates which were consecutively collected
from clinical specimens in 14 centers
in 11 Asian countries during the period
from September 1996 to June 1997 were
tested.
Data revealed that preumococcal resistance
is a serious problem in some Asian cities.
Data from molecular epidemiologic studies
indicated that it may be partly due
to the spread of resistant clones within
and between Asian countries as well
as due to injudicious use of antimicrobial
agents. Continuous surveillance of pneumococcal
resistance is strongly warranted in
this region in the future. Data from
the first-year project by the ANSORP
Study Group will appear in the June
1999 issue of the Clinical Infectious
Diseases. |
|
|
|
 |
Research project (1998-1999)
The second-year
research project by the ANSORP Study Group
during the period between 1998 and early
1999 is the nasopharyngeal carriage of
drug-resistant pneumococci in Asian children.
As pneumococcal disease follows nasopharyngeal
carriage, previous studies showed that
the antimicrobial susceptibility profile
of nasopharyngeal strains reflects that
of invasive strains.
Thus, it appears that the use of nasopharyngeal
isolates from children on admission
to hospital, or attending an outpatient
clinic, can be used as an estimate of
the incidence of resistance in systemic
isolates. Carriage rates in different
countries could reveal the background
reason for different status of pneumococcal
resistance in Asia. |
|
|
 |
 |
Research project (2000-2001)
ANSORP
is a growing network for researches
on antimicrobial resistance and infectious
diseases in the Asian region. As it
was developed independently, ANSORP
is owned by principal investigators
in Asian countries. The initial future
visions of the ANSORP can be summarized
as followings ;
First, ANSORP will continue to perform
the international multicenter researches
on antimicrobial resistance as well
as clinical trials in the Asian region.
Future research plans or ideas will
be raised by ANSORP investigators. The
3rd-year project by the ANSORP study
group was "The clinical impact
of antimicrobial resistance among invasive
pneumococcal pathogens in Asian countries".
The study was performed in 25 centers
in 13 countries in Asia and Middle East.
Second, ANSORP will remain "independent"
study group for the international collaboration
study in the Asian region. It is not
owned by a certain pharmaceutical company
or other societies. ANSORP may have
the relationship with the Western Pacific
Society for Chemotherapy (WPSC) or International
Society for Chemotherapy (ISC) for more
effective activities in the future. |
|
|
 |
Research project (2002-2005)
 Epidemiology
and clinical characteristics of community-acquired
pneumonia in Asian countries (2001-2003)
After completion of serial surveillance
of pneumococcal resistance, ANSORP project
from 2001 was the current project for
surveillance of CAP in Asian countries.
Given the lack of relevant data on CAP
in the region with regard to etiologic
distribution, clinical characteristics,
antibiotic uses and clinical outcome,
this study could generate very important
information.
 Molecular characterization
of macrolide-resistant or fluoroquinolone-resistant S. pneumoniae from Asian countries
(2002)
This basic study was performed to characterize
the prevalence of macrolide resistance
genes (erm and mef)
and fluoroquinolone resistance genes
(gyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE)
among Asian pneumococcal strains.
 Surveillance
of antimicrobial resistance among enteric
pathogens from Asian Countries* (2002-2003)
This project initiated by Prof. Cheng-Hsun
Chiu in Taiwan was to investigate the
antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella and Shigella strains from
Asian countries. Strains of Salmonella, Shigella, and cholera have
been collected from ANSORP countries.
 Epidemiology
and clinical impact of community-acquired
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus in Asian countries (2005-present)
Emergence of CA-MRSA is obviously an
important issue not only from the epidemiologic
point of view but also from the clinical
standpoint. However, epidemiology of
CA-MRSA in the Asian region has not
been fully described. This prospective
multinational surveillance study will
be the first study to investigate the
epidemiologic, clinical, microbiological,
and molecular characteristics of CA-MRSA
strains in the Asian region.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Finally, through
these actives, ANSORP will be established as representative
research group with regard to the antimicroboal
resistance and infectious diseases in
the Asian region.
ANSORP activities will certainly contribute to
the future control strategies of resistance
problem in this region. |
|
