Inducible-Clindamycin Resistance in <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i> Isolates in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Clindamycin is indicated in the treatment of skin and soft-tissue infections caused by Staphylococcal species. Treatment of an infection caused by a strain carrying inducible erm gene using clindamycin or any non-inducer macrolide can lead to clinical failure. The present study was aimed to detect inducible-clindamycin resistance (MLSBi) among S. aureus isolates in Port Harcourt, Nigeriaand to study the relationship between clindamycin and methicillin-resistant <i S. aureus (MRSA).Two hundred and five (205) non-duplicate Staphylococcus aureus previously isolated from human sources were randomly collected from three health facilities- University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital and De-Integrated Laboratories-all located in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, for this study from August, 2012 to July, 2013. Isolates were grouped as hospital in-patient (termed hospital- acquired – Nosocomial; n = 76) and out- patient cases (community-acquired; n = 129) Staphylococcus aureus . The isolates collected were reconfirmed following standard laboratory protocols. All confirmed isolates were stored in glycerol at +4°C (later sub-cultured for various phenotypic analyses). Using the disk diffusion method, detection of MRSA was carried out with 1μg of oxacillin (OXOID) placed on Mueller-Hinton agar with 4% NaCl supplementation).Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using Erythromycin (15μg) and Clindamycin (2μg) both obtained from OXOID, UK. All clindamycin-sensitive isolates that were also erythromycin-resistant were subjected to D-Test phenotype (Inducible-clindamycin resistance). Among the 205 S. aureus isolates studied, Forty-four (21.5%) showed resistance to erythromycin, while 38 of these erythromycin-resistant isolates were simultaneously sensitive to clindamycin. Overall, out of 205 isolates, inducible-clindamycin resistance was detected in 23 (11.2%) of the isolates. These 23 (inducible MLSB phenotype) are among 38 erythromycin-resistant S. aureus that were simultaneously sensitive (phenotypically) to clindamycin. Ten (4.9%) of the total (205) study isolates expressed constitutive resistance to clindamycin. Oxacillin Resistance (MRSA) was detected in 25 (12.2%) of the 205 isolates. Among the 38 erythromycin-resistant S. aureus, four were MRSA while 3 (75%) of the 4 erythromycin-resistant MRSA expressed inducible resistance to clindamycin. 20 (58.8%) of 34 erythromycin-resistant MSSA expressed inducible resistance to clindamycin. MRSA phenotype was not significantly correlated (p=0.9430) to inducible-clindamycin resistance. Inducible clindamycin-resistance often leads to treatment failure. The clinical microbiology laboratories in Nigeria should consider routine testing and reporting of inducible clindamycin resistance in S. aureus . There is also the need for sustained surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibilities of S. aureus in this region.