First detected isolate of glycopeptide-intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a renal unit at a central academic hospital in Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is an important and common cause of healthcare and community-associated infections. Reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides in methicillin-resistant S. aureus is well documented. We report on the first glycopeptideintermediate S. aureus (GISA) isolate from a renal unit at a central academic hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The rapid sequence of increasingly resistant profiles in a single patient highlights the capacity of S. aureus to evolve to overt resistance with clinical vancomycin use. This case emphasises the critical need for reliable detection methods of GISA strains in clinical laboratories to ensure timeous initiation of the appropriate therapy.