High prevalence of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from hospitalized patients in Asia-Pacific and South Africa: results from SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program, 1998-1999.

As part of the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program, we examined the prevalence rates, types, and antibiograms of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from hospitalized patients from 17 institutions in eight countries in Asia-Pacific and South Africa (APAC). From April 1998 to December 1999, a total of 1,711 isolates of S. aureus (814 from blood, 392 from the respiratory tract, 467 from skin and skin structures, and 38 from urine) were collected from hospitalized patients within the APAC region. Multidrug-resistant oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (MORSA) isolates, defined as strains with three or more resistances to drug classes other than beta-lactams, were the most common type of oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (ORSA). They were the most frequently identified pathogen in wound infections and were common in bloodstream and lower respiratory tract infections. In all contributing institutions combined, more than 45% (range, 4 to 74%) of S. aureus isolates were oxacillin resistant, and in six institutions, this rate exceeded 60%. MORSA accounted for 91.2% of all oxacillin-resistant isolates. Distinct resistance patterns predominated at various sites within the APAC region, suggesting the local evolution of resistant clones. Non-multidrug-resistant strains were frequent in one part of Australia. No vancomycin-intermediate strains were detected, and no strains were resistant to linezolid or quinupristin-dalfopristin. MORSA strains are a very common cause of infection in hospitalized patients in the APAC region.