title: Clonal dissemination of mupirocin-resistant staphylococci in Greek hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the rates of mupirocin resistance in staphylococci during a 4 year period (1999-2002) in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1200 Staphylococcus aureus and 2760 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), consecutively collected from four Greek hospitals located in different geographical areas, were tested for susceptibility to mupirocin using the Etest and a reference agar dilution method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four S. aureus (2%) and 532 CoNS (19.2%) were found to be mupirocin-resistant during the study period. High-level mupirocin resistance was detected in 20 S. aureus (1.6%) and in 440 CoNS (15.9%), respectively. No variations in the rates of mupirocin-resistant S. aureus in relation to the year of collection were observed. In contrast, the rate of mupirocin-resistant CoNS increased dramatically from 9% in 1999, to 14% in 2000, 20% in 2001 and reached 33% in 2002. PFGE analysis revealed the presence of one main clone (A) among mupirocin-resistant S. aureus and two main clones (i and a) among Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Greece, the rate of mupirocin-resistant S. aureus has remained low and steady since 1999. The high rate of mupirocin-resistant CoNS (33%) in 2002 was due mainly to clonal dissemination of epidemic hospital clones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Thessalia, Papakyriazi 22, Larissa.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petinaki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spiliopoulou
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maniati
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bersos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stakias
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malamou-Lada
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Koutsia-Carouzou
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Maniatis
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003030:Coagulase / Q000378:metabolism; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016712:Mupirocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003030:Coagulase; D016712:Mupirocin