Mupirocin resistance among Malaysian isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

• Published in: International journal of antimicrobial agents Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 411 - 414
• Main Authors: Norazah, Ahmad, Koh, Yin Tee, Ghani Kamel, Abd, Alias, Rahmah, Lim, Victor K.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.05.2001; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cross Infection - microbiology; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Humans; Malaysia; Medical sciences; Methicillin Resistance; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mupirocin; Mupirocin - pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Asia; Malaysia; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mupirocin; Malaysia; Drug susceptibility test; β-Lactams; Meticillin; Penicillin derivatives; Resistance; Antibiotic; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Micrococcaceae; Antibacterial agent; Staphylococcus aureus
• ISSN: 0924-8579; 1872-7913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0924-8579(01)00314-4

Four hundred methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains (MRSA) from different geographical areas in Malaysia were tested for mupirocin susceptibility using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. The majority of these strains (98.75%) were susceptible to mupirocin with MICs of ⩽4 mg/l. Fifty-percent of these strains had MICs of 0.125 mg/l or less while 90% of the strains had MICs of 1 mg/l or less. Mupirocin resistance was detected in five strains (1.25%) and one of these (0.25%) had an MIC of 64 mg/l and the other four strains (1%), high-level resistance with MICs >512 mg/l. Even though the rate of mupirocin resistance in MRSA is still low in Malaysia, its presence calls for a strict policy on mupirocin usage in Malaysian hospitals.