Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Formidable Threat or Silence before the Storm?

Abstract

Globally, Staphylococcus aureus (<em>S. aureus</em>), notably methicillin-resistant <em>S. aureus</em>, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Vancomycin is considered a drug of last resort for severe MRSA and other resistant Gram-positive infections. Vancomycin enjoyed a high level of success for decades following MRSA outbreaks until recent reports of increasing <em>S. aureus</em> MICs culminating in high-level vancomycin-resistant <em>S. aureus</em> (VRSA), first reported in 2002. Since then, there have been selected case reports of VRSA disease in the US and other countries.