Enterococci from Bangkok, Thailand, with high-level resistance to currently available aminoglycosides

Enterococcal endocarditis is usually treated with a combination of a penicillin and an aminoglycoside. Recent reports have documented the emergence of enterococci in France with high-level resistance to gentamicin, tobramycin, and kanamycin and the emergence of strains in Houston, Tex. with high-level resistance to all of these drugs and streptomycin. In this study, we examined strains from a geographic area where newer aminoglycosides have been less commonly used. Of 125 distinct patient isolates, 18 (14%) were resistant to greater than 2,000 micrograms of gentamicin and most other aminoglycosides per ml. Four of these strains transferred gentamicin resistance to a laboratory recipient. One strain, chosen for further study, was resistant to synergism between penicillin and gentamicin, tobramycin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and amikacin and demonstrated the following enzymatic activities: 3'- and 2"-aminoglycoside phosphotransferases, 6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase, and adenylylation of streptomycin. Optimal therapy for endocarditis caused by such highly resistant strains is currently unknown.