Linezolid-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated after long-term, repeated use of linezolid

J Infect Chemother. 2009 Dec;15(6):417-9. doi: 10.1007/s10156-009-0727-3.

Abstract

We report a 54-year-old male patient with an infection caused by linezolid-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), isolated after long-term, repeated use of linezolid. Five MRSA strains isolated from our patient were preserved and submitted to bacteriological analysis. All five of these strains were found to have identical genotypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Two strains isolated in the early hospital period were sensitive to linezolid, while three isolated in the late hospital period were resistant. These three strains that had acquired resistance to linezolid were found to have a G2576T point mutation in the 23SrRNA domain V. Linezolid-resistant MRSA is rare, but may occur with the long-term, repeated administration of linezolid.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetamides / pharmacology*
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Linezolid
  • Male
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / classification
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxazolidinones / pharmacology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*

Substances

  • Acetamides
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Oxazolidinones
  • Linezolid