First report of cfr-mediated resistance to linezolid in human staphylococcal clinical isolates recovered in the United States

Linezolid resistance has dominantly been mediated by mutations in 23S rRNA or ribosomal protein L4 genes. Recently, cfr has demonstrated the ability to produce a phenotype of resistance to not only oxazolidinones, but also other antimicrobial classes (phenicols, lincosamides, pleuromutilins, and streptogramin A). We describe the first detection of cfr-mediated linezolid resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis recovered from human infection cases monitored during the 2007 LEADER Program.