The prevalence of resistance to a range of macrolides was determined for clinical isolates of common respiratory pathogens using NCCLS testing methods and interpretative criter ia.71.4% of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 62.3% of Staphylococcus aureus, 50.8% of coagulase-negative staphylococci and 4.4% of Strpetococcus pyogenes were erythromycin resistant. Also, the rates of resistance to other macrolides and clindamycin in these clinical isolates were as high as to eryth -romycin. Almost all of the macrolide-resistant isolates were positive for erm of the methylase gene, or mef of the efflux gene.