Vancomycin intermediate and high level vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates in Osogbo, Nigeria
<p>The decreased vancomycin susceptibility and subsequent emergence of vancomycin resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus </em>(VRSA) strains already multi-resistant to antibiotics is a major public health problem. In 2009, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) altered its guidelines for vancomycin susceptibility testing in <em>S. aureus</em> and recent data suggests the possibility that VRSA may emerge more frequently than previously expected. Against this background, we conducted a study to ascertain the susceptibility status of clinical <em>S. aureus</em> isolates to vancomycin in our environment using vancomycin agar screen, disk diffusion and broth dilution methods. Of the total 49 <em>S. aureus </em>invasive strains isolated, 25 (51.0%) had vancomycin MIC of ≤2µg/ml by the CLSI standard broth dilution method and are classed as vancomycin susceptible; 18 (36.7%) had MIC of 4-8µg/ml (vancomycin intermediate resistant) and 6 (12.2%) had MIC of >256µg/ml (high level vancomycin resistant). Vancomycin agar screen with Mueller-Hinton agar containing 3µg/ml vancomycin (MHA-V3) correctly identified 20 of 25 (80%) vancomycin susceptible isolates; detected all 6 vancomycin resistant isolates and 16 of 18 (88.9%) vancomycin intermediate strains. Similarly, Mueller-Hinton agar containing 6µg/ml vancomycin (MHA-V6) correctly identified 23 of 25 (92%) vancomycin susceptible isolates and all 6 vancomycin resistant isolates but detected 14 (77.8%) of 18 vancomycin intermediate strains. Vancomycin disk diffusion test correctly identified all the 25 vancomycin susceptible <em>S. aureus</em> isolates giving 100% specificity but detected only 1 of 18 (5.6%) vancomycin intermediate and none (0%) of vancomycin resistant isolates. This result shows the occurrence of VISA and high level VRSA isolates in our environment, which contrary to current belief, may indicate widespread dissemination of VRSA. MHA-V3 agar is a useful alternative screening medium for vancomycin non-susceptibility detection in clinical <em>S. aureus</em> isolates but vancomycin disk diffusion is not useful in this regard.</p>