Emerging sodium fusidate resistance in Western Australian methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to be a major cause of nosocomial infection in Australia. In Western Australia, a new type of MRSA (WA MRSA) appeared some years ago and has become endemic in the community. While initially susceptible to most antibiotics, WA MRSA has begun to acquire additional resistance determinants, including trimethoprim and mupirocin resistance, prompting a review of emerging resistance to other antibiotics. Resistance to sodium fusidate, which remained at around 1 - 2% of isolates for many years, rose to 3% in 1993, 5% in 1994 and 9% in 1995. These findings suggest that the use of sodium fusidate in both hospital and community medicine may require review. Comm Dis Intell 1996;20:492-494.