oa Southern African Journal of Epidemiology and Infection - Emergence of reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides in a Staphylococcus aureus strain causing infection in a neonate : case study

Abstract

Failure of therapy for infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides is well recorded. Methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) with reduced susceptibility to the glycopeptides was isolated from an infant on vancomycin treatment at Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa. This was associated with the clinical failure of vancomycin therapy. Strain typing demonstrated that this strain was descended from the original infecting organism, and that decreased susceptibility to the glycopeptides developed during vancomycin therapy in this patient. This may be related to inadequate dosing and dosing intervals.