Emergence of high-level vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Published on: February 9, 2011
Marzieh Aligholi1, Mohammad Emaneini, Fereshteh Jabalameli
1Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA).
Materials And Methods:
Three hundred and fifty-six S. aureus isolates from the Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran, Iran, were evaluated for methicillin and decreased vancomycin susceptibility by the microbroth dilution method. The mecA, vanAand vanB genes were targeted by polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
Of the 356 isolates, 149 (41.85%) S. aureus strains were resistant to methicillin. Two strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus were VRSA strains. One isolate, Teaching Hospital-1 (TEH-1), had a vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 64 microg/ml and was susceptible to teicoplanin while the other isolate (TEH-2) had a vancomycin and teicoplanin MIC of 512 and >256 microg/ml, respectively, and was positive for the vanA gene.
Conclusion:
This report shows that the emergence of VRSA in Iran warrants active microbiological surveillance and careful monitoring of vancomycin therapy.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Staphylococcal Skin Infections
Development of Antibiotic Resistance
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Automated Microbial Diagnostics