title: Antimicrobial activity and spectrum of daptomycin: results from the surveillance program in Australia and New Zealand (2008).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess in vitro activity and spectrum of daptomycin, a new lipopeptide antimicrobial, against contemporary isolates of Gram positive pathogens in Australia and New Zealand in 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gram positive isolates from patients with a range of bacterial infections served by seven Australian and three New Zealand laboratories were tested by broth microdilution and susceptibility results interpreted using current Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards against daptomycin and a range of comparator agents including oxacillin, vancomycin and linezolid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  872 Staphylococcus aureus (24.0% oxacillin resistant; Australia 28.4%, New Zealand 9.0%), 60 coagulase negative staphylococci (83.3% oxacillin resistant), 113 Enterococcus species (6.2% vancomycin non-susceptible), 40 viridans group Streptococcus species (7.5% penicillin resistant), and 158 beta-haemolytic Streptococcus species were tested. Daptomycin was active against all 1243 strains, and no resistance or reduced susceptibility was detected, including among multi-resistant strains and those resistant to vancomycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the time of the introduction of daptomycin into clinical practice in Australia and New Zealand, this agent retains full activity and holds promise as an important therapeutic agent for treating serious Gram positive infections, including strains resistant to multiple other drug classes.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Directorate, SA Pathology, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia.
authors.forename: Jan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Turnidge
authors.forename: Helio S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sader
authors.forename: Ronald N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017576:Daptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011159:Population Surveillance
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017576:Daptomycin; D010068:Oxacillin