Nationwide surveillance study of vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains in Korean hospitals from 2001 to 2006.
We investigated the prevalence and the molecular characteristics of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from clinical samples at tertiary or general hospitals participating in a nationwide surveillance program for VISA and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) in Korea during an 8-week period in each year from 2001 to 2006. Of 41,639 MRSAs isolated, 37,856 were screened and 169 grew on brain heart infusion agar supplemented with 4 microg/ml vancomycin. A vancomycin MIC of 4 microg/ml was confirmed for 33 VISA isolates of the 169 isolates. Eighteen of the 33 isolates were classified as hetero-VISA (hVISA) by the population analysis profile (PAP) method. All VISA isolates were susceptible to linezolid, tigecycline, and quinupristin-dalfopristin. Most VISA isolates (MIC 4 microg/ml) showed a PFGE C pattern with sec, seg, and sei enterotoxin genes, including ST5-SCCmec type II, or a PFGE A pattern with sea, including ST239-SCCmec type III.
Chung
Gyungtae
G
Division of Antimicrobial Resistance, Center for Infectious Disease, National Institute of Health, Seoul 122-701, Korea.
Cha
Jeongok
J
Han
Sunyoung
S
Jang
Heesun
H
Lee
Kyeongmin
K
Yoo
Jaeil
J
Yoo
Jeongsik
J
Kim
Hongbin
H
Eun
Soohoon
S
Kim
Bongsu
B
Park
Ok
O
Lee
Yeong seon
Ys
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019540:Area Under Curve; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014640:Vancomycin