MRSA, Staph, Staff, Mersa, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Symptoms & Treatment

What drugs will work against VRSA?

Link: [Combination effect of pazufloxacin and anti-mrsa drugs against beta-lactam antibiotic induced vancomycin-resistant MRSA (BIVR)].

The in vitro combination effects of pazufloxacin (PZFX) with an anti-MRSA drug such as vancomycin (VCM), teicoplanin (TEIC), arbekacin (ABK), minocycline (MINO), rifampicin (RFP) and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (ST) were investigated against 26 strains of beta-lactam antibiotic induced vancomycin-resistant MRSA (BIVR) by the checkerboard method. The additive and synergistic effects were observed with the combination of PZFX and VCM (50%, 13/26 strains), PZFX and TEIC (96%, 25/26 strains), PZFX and ABK (65%, 17/26 strains), PZFX and MINO (46%, 12/26 strains), PZFX and ST (54%, 14/26 strains). The synergistic effects were observed with the combination of PZFX and TEIC (4%, 1/26 strains), PZFX and ABK or MINO (15%, 4/26 strains). The antagonistic effects were observed with only PZFX and MINO (12%, 3/26 strains), others were all indifference.

VRSA emerges in Brazil

Link: First Report of Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococci Isolated from Healthy Carriers in Brazil -- Palazzo et al. 43 (1): 179 -- Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Reduced susceptibility or resistance to vancomycin has been reported among clinical isolates of staphylococci in previous studies. In the present study we report on the isolation of four vancomycin-resistant staphylococcal strains from healthy carriers inside and outside the hospital environment. These carriers did not receive treatment with any antibiotic.

VanK in vancomycin resistance

Link: Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The non-pathogenic, non-glycopeptide-producing actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor carries a cluster of seven genes (vanSRJKHAX) that confers inducible, high-level resistance to vancomycin.

(Very technical but of interest to VRSA researchers)

Dialysis patients & VRSA

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

Individuals undergoing hemodialysis may be at increased risk for emerging antimicrobial resistance from vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). The laboratory detection of VISA and VRSA is challenging and requires the use of well-thought-out algorithms.

VRSA Research grows

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities and genetic relatedness of the vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain (VRSA) isolated at Hershey, Pa. (VRSA Hershey), and its vancomycin-susceptible and high-level-resistant derivatives were studied and compared to 32 methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains (MRSA) isolated from patients and medical staff in contact with the VRSA patient.

VRSA - the emerging patterns

Link: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

To investigate the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin among methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains in Asian countries, a total of 1,357 clinical isolates of MRSA collected from 12 Asian countries were screened by using brain heart infusion agar plates containing 4 mg of vancomycin per liter. The presence of strains that were heterointermediately resistant to vancomycin (hVISA) was confirmed by population analysis. Of 347 (25.6%) MRSA isolates that grew on the screening agar plates, 58 isolates (4.3%) were hVISA.

VRSA being missed?

JAMA
Additional testing at CDC indicated that Microscan® and Vitek® (bioMerieux, Hazelwood, Missouri) testing panels and cards available in the United States did not detect vancomycin resistance in this VRSA isolate. Consequently, additional VRSA infections might have occurred but were undetected by laboratories using automated methods

Thug Bugs

Resistant Microbes, Antibiotic Abuse, and the Threat to Public Health
The reason why we are so concerned with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), is because VRE + MRSA could lead to VRSA--a vancomycin-resistant S. aureus or "Catastrostaph," as I call it. In 1991 a scientist named Nobel was able to show in the laboratory that VRE could transmit its highly resistant gene to S. aureus and cause the proliferation of this super bug. Nobel was so concerned about it that he destroyed his isolates.

Vancomycin Susceptibility

Medscape
Very technical item about MRSA strains and resistance to Vancomycin. Not good news but worth reading

Superbug Gained Resistance from Neighboring Bacteria

Scientific American
But some bacteria that are closely related to S. aureus--which often causes life-threatening infections in hospital settings--can fend off vancomycin, prompting concerns that soon S. aureus will, too. Scientists describe one instance of a vancomycin-resistant strain of the ubiquitous bug in the current issue of the journal Science and show that the gene responsible for its invulnerability jumped from another bacteria.