Identification of Inducible Clindamycin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Hospitalized Patients in Hospitals of Tehran City (Iran)

The emergence of antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus has created a major challenge in the treatment of infections caused by this bacterium, and inducible clindamycin resistance has also led to treatment failure. This study was performed with the aim of identification of inducible clindamycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from hospitalized patients in hospitals of Tehran city.
This descriptive study was conducted on 80 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from patients hospitalized in hospitals of Tehran city. The susceptibility of the isolates to different antibiotics, were investigated using disk diffusion method. Inducible clindamycin resistance of the strains was identified using D-zone test. The presence of ermA, ermB, and ermC genes were evaluated by multiplex PCR.
In this study, among 89 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 70% of the strains were resistant to erythromycin and 45% to clindamycin. Using D-zone test, 15 samples were reported positive. Among the 80 isolates, ermA, ermB, and ermC genes were observed in 4 (5%), 6 (7.5%) and 8 (10%) strains, respectively.
Given the results of this study, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance is a matter of concern; hence, there is a need for accurate management of drug prescription and identification of resistant isolates to control the infection and prevent the spread of resistant bacteria.