Volume 172, Issue 2 pp. 247-253

Antiseptic susceptibility and distribution of antiseptic-resistance genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Norihisa Noguchi

Corresponding Author

Norihisa Noguchi

Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +81 (426) 765619; Fax: +81 (426) 765647; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Mitsuhiro Hase

Mitsuhiro Hase

Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan

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Masami Kitta

Masami Kitta

Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan

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Masanori Sasatsu

Masanori Sasatsu

Department of Microbiology, Showa College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Machida, Tokyo 194, Japan

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Koichi Deguchi

Koichi Deguchi

Section of Studies, Tokyo Clinical Research Center, 14-4 Senju-Nakamachi, Adachi, Tokyo 194, Japan

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Megumi Kono

Megumi Kono

Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan

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First published: 17 January 2006
Citations: 9

Abstract

We examined the antiseptic susceptibilities and distribution of antiseptic-resistance genes qacA and smr in 98 isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus obtained in 1992. Seventy-one strains were resistant to antiseptics. The qacA and smr genes were detected in 10 and 20 strains, respectively. The remaining 41 strains without qacA and smr were divided into two groups that exhibited low-level (n= 22) and high-level (n= 19) resistance to acriflavin. DNA cloning and sequencing suggested that norfloxacin-resistance gene norA was responsible for the high-level resistance to acriflavin. Our results indicated that four or more antiseptic-resistance genes exist in methicillin-resistant S. aureus and that antiseptic-resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains without qacA and smr are widely spread in Japan.

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