"Staph" isolate with low-level resistance to vancomycin reported in U.S.
August 1997, CDC Media Relations (404) 639-3286
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CDC is aware of a patient in the United States with an infection caused by
a Staphylococcus aureus isolate with low-level resistance to vancomycin.
CDC tested six isolates from this patient and confirmed two of the six have
a resistance profile. This is the first reported occurrence of a
Staphylococcus aureus isolate with low-level resistance to vancomycin
identified in the United States; however, this isolate was susceptible to
other antimicrobials available in the United States such as tetracycline.
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Although this strain was not fully resistant to vancomycin, this finding
increases the possibility that levels of resistance will eventually develop
which could make many infections untreatable with currently available
antibiotics. This is a serious, but expected, development and CDC, NIH and
FDA have been coordinating efforts to reduce possible spread of resistant
strains (e.g., implementation of rigorous infection control procedures and
appropriate use of antibiotics) and develop new treatments (e.g., research
and investigation of new antimicrobial drugs).
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Staphylococcus pathogens are commonly found on the skin without producing
any disease. However, Staphylococci can produce a variety of disease symptoms
ranging from skin infections to blood stream infections and death. In
hospitalized patients, they are frequent causes for bloodstream infections,
pneumonia, and surgical-site infections.
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As a result of widespread antimicrobial use and misuse, resistance to common
antibiotics has emerged in the United States and abroad as a major public
health challenge both in community and hospital settings. Antimicrobial agents
are losing their effectiveness for a wide range of community- and
hospital-acquired pathogens, including staphylococci.
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Decreasing the likelihood of further emergence of vancomycin resistant strains
of staphylococci in the United States depends, in part, on actions taken
now to prevent the spread of these strains in health-care facilities, including
prudent vancomycin use and infection-control measures such as health-care
worker handwashing.
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Active surveillance is critical for the early detection and subsequent control
of staphylococci with decreased susceptibility to vancomycin. CDC is working
closely with hospitals in the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance
System (NNIS) to promptly identify and report any isolations of this organism
in participating U.S. hospitals. CDC is also working with state health
departments to ensure prompt reporting of any of these strains that are detected
outside of NNIS sites. Although, these organisms could be resistant to most
other antimicrobial agents available in the United States, experimental
therapeutics are in development that appear to be effective for these types
of strains.
National Center for Infectious Diseases
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Hospital Infections Program
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/staphv.htm