Methicillin-resistant, quinupristin-dalfopristin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with reduced sensitivity to glycopeptides

Of 3,052 Staphylococcus aureus strains collected by the European SENTRY surveillance study, 35 were found to be nonsusceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin (MIC of greater than or equal to2 mg/liter). These isolates originated from four hospitals in France and one in Spain. In isolates from two Parisian hospitals exhibiting the same Sinal macrorestriction pattern, streptogramin resistance was based on vatA and vgbA. One isolate from a hospital in Lyon and 22 from a hospital in Lille were of the vatB vgaB streptogramin A resistance genotype and possessed ermA and/or ermC. As deduced from the loss of either streptogramin A or streptogramin B resistance determinants in particular isolates, resistance to quinupristin-dalfopristin requires mechanisms conferring resistance to both compounds. The SmaI macrorestriction patterns of strains from hospitals in Lille and Lyon were different; however, similarity analysis suggested a relatedness of 20 methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains from the Lille hospital, a finding confirmed by PCR typing based on three different genomic polymorphisms. These groups of isolates were found to be hetero-glycopeptide-intermediate susceptible S. aureus. Information about the failure of glycopeptide chemotherapy has not been available.