Phage pattern-specific oxacillin-resistant and borderline oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in U.S. hospitals: Epidemiological significance

C. H. Zierdt, I. K. Hosein, R. Shively, J. D. MacLowry

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

For a 13-year period (1978 through 1990), oxacillin-resistant (MIC, >4 μg/ml) Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) strains were collected from Clinical Center (National Institutes of Health) patients and patients from five other U.S. hospitals. From Clinical Center patients, 251 of 253 isolates (99%) were bacteriophage typed as phage group III. Five other hospitals contributed 203 ORSA strains, of which 188 (93%) were group III. The group III ORSA strains predominantly included a characteristic core pattern of phages, 7/47/53/54/75/77. For the low-level (borderline) oxacillin-resistant strains (MIC, 2 to 4 μg/ml), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination (Augmentin) testing disclosed 62 hyper-β-lactamase producers, of which 59 (95%) were of a separate, distinct S. aureus strain, with the phage pattern 92/94/96/292/D-11 (group V). Thus, ORSA and hyper-β-lactamase producing S. aureus are distinct epidemic strains.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)252-254
Number of pages3
JournalJournal of Clinical Microbiology
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)

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