Abstract:Background: Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a different sample type, including meat (chicken, chevon, and pork), swabs from butcher shops (Chopping knife, butcher hands, and chopping block), nasal swabs (bovine and swine), and swabs from community settings (Cell phone, Office telephone, Door handle, computer mouse and keyboard, chair arm and tap faucet), were observed for variability in vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). High vancomycin MIC in Methicillin-Resistant
S. aureus (MRSA) has been theoretically linked to treatment failure and may be a precursor to Heterogeneous Vancomycin-Intermediate
S. aureus (hVISA) and Vancomycin-Intermediate
S. aureus (VISA). This study aimed to determine existed variability of vancomycin MIC among
S. aureus isolates, including MRSA, in Punjab.
Methods: MIC of vancomycin by E-test of all S. aureus isolates including MRSA isolates studied between Feb. 2014 to Aug. 2016.
Results: Three of the 201 examined isolates had MICs greater than 2 µg/mL, and all three came from community-based settings. Vancomycin was effective against the majority of MRSA isolates, with a MIC of 1 to 1.5 µg/mL. The MIC variability among the meat and swab samples did not differ significantly. However, the difference was considerable when the MIC variability of the swab from the community settings was compared to the meat and nasal/butcher shop swab samples.
Conclusions: The majority of the MRSA isolates were still highly susceptible to vancomycin, but when the sample type was examined, there was evidence of a considerable difference in vancomycin MICs.