A multi-centre study of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Greece. Greek MRSA Study Group.
All 105 non-replicate consecutive Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated in 1997 from seven Greek hospitals, were found to be susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin and chloramphenicol, but only five (8%) were susceptible to all 16 antibiotics tested. Forty-three (41%) isolates were methicillin-resistant, 58% homogeneously (homMRSA) and 42% heterogeneously (hetMRSA). Resistance of homMRSA strains to other antibiotics was generally high (88-100%), although only one strain was resistant to netilmicin. Resistance in hetMRSA (6-39%) or in MSSA (5-11%) was significantly lower. Consequently, the majority (76%) of homMRSA were multi-drug resistant, while the dominant phenotype of hetMRSA and MSSA was resistance to penicillin (50% and 76%, respectively). Comparison of these strains with isolates from 1994 showed higher resistance rates to erythromycin among MSSA, to erythromycin and amikacin among hetMRSA and to rifampicin among homMRSA strains.
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
M
M
Kantzanou
P T
PT
Tassios
A
A
Tseleni-Kotsovili
A N
AN
Maniatis
A C
AC
Vatopoulos
N J
NJ
Legakis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents