Mupirocin resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from a veterans hospital

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2026

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

M H Naguib1, M T Naguib, D J Flournoy

  • 1Laboratory Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.

Chemotherapy
|November 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Mupirocin resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is low but increasing. Nine of 679 MRSA isolates were resistant, with a concerning rise in cases during 1992, signaling a potential future threat.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical microbiology
  • Infectious diseases
  • Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant healthcare-associated pathogen.
  • Mupirocin is a crucial topical antibiotic for treating MRSA infections.
  • The emergence of mupirocin resistance in MRSA is a growing public health concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of mupirocin resistance among clinical MRSA isolates.
  • To analyze trends in mupirocin resistance over time.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 679 MRSA isolates collected between 1986 and 1992.
  • Disk agar diffusion screening using a 5 µg mupirocin disk.
  • Agar dilution method to determine Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for suspect isolates.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-six out of 679 MRSA isolates (3.8%) showed zones of inhibition < 18 mm, suggesting potential resistance.
  • Nine isolates (1.3% of total) were confirmed resistant to mupirocin, with MICs ranging from 6.25 to >1,000 µg/ml.
  • A notable increase in resistant isolates was observed in 1992, with 5 out of 9 resistant strains identified that year.

Conclusions:

  • The overall incidence of mupirocin resistance in this MRSA cohort was low.
  • The increasing trend of mupirocin resistance, particularly in recent years (1992), warrants close monitoring.
  • This rise may indicate a developing threat that could compromise future MRSA treatment strategies.

More Related Videos

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria14:04

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria

Published on: May 8, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Staphylococcal Skin Infections01:29

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...
Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens01:31

Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens

The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
Mismatch Repair01:48

Mismatch Repair

Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch RepairThe human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...