Emergence of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus from predominant methicillin-resistant S. aureus clones in a Korean hospital

J Microbiol. 2010 Aug;48(4):533-5. doi: 10.1007/s12275-010-0062-5. Epub 2010 Aug 20.

Abstract

The genetic and epidemiological features of four vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) isolates obtained from a Korean hospital were evaluated in this study. The VISA isolates were genotyped as sequence type (ST) 5-staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) II variant (n=2) and ST239-SCCmec III (n=2), which were derived from the predominant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones in Korean hospitals. One VISA isolate was acquired during vancomycin treatment, whereas three VISA isolates were obtained from the patients who had not previously been exposed to glycopeptides. As VISA is likely to arise from the predominant MRSA clones and may then possibly spread between patients, the emergence of VISA should be monitored with great care in hospitals.

MeSH terms

  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • Cross Infection / microbiology*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Republic of Korea
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
  • Vancomycin Resistance*