Abstract
Background: The emergence of resistance in gram-positive bacteria has necessitated a search for new antimicrobial agents. Linezolid, an oxazolidinone, is a new class of antibacterial agents with enhanced activity against pathogens. Method: The in-vitro activity of linezolid was assessed against 461 gram-positive cocci; 301 Staphylococcus spp., 150 Enterococcus spp., 5 Streptococcus pneumoniae and 5 Streptococcus pyogenes , with an emphesis on testing multidrug-resistant isolates. Results: Linezolid demonstrated potent activity against all the isolates tested at the susceptible breakpoint (≤4µg/ml). Against methicillin-resistant staphylococci and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, linezolid was the most active agent tested. Moreover, among 29.90% methicillin-resistant staphylococcal isolates, 20 exhibited intermediate susceptibility to vancomycin. Similarly, among the enterococcal isolates, 32% exhibited high level gentamicin-resistance whereas 7.33% were found to be vancomycin-resistant. None of the streptococcal isolates exhibited resistance to any of the antimicrobials tested. Conclusions: In summary, linezolid may represent an important therapeutic option for the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive cocci in Nepal.
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