Frequency of Antiseptic Resistance Among Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Isolated From a University Hospital in Central Iran.

OBJECTIVES Reduced biocide susceptibility in Staphylococci is associated with various antiseptic resistance genes encoding efflux systems. Our aim was to determine the susceptibility to three disinfectant agents, including benzalkonium chloride (BAC), benzethonium chloride (BZT), and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHDG) among clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS). METHODS The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 60 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 54 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and 51 CoNS isolates from a single hospital to three biocidal agents (BAC, BZT, and CHDG) was determined. Biocide resistance genes (qacA/B, smr, qacG, qacH, qacJ, and norA) were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS All isolates had MICs for BAC and BZT from 0.25 to 8 µg/mL, and for CHDG from 0.5 to 64 µg/mL. qacA/B was the most common biocide resistance gene among all 165 Staphylococcus isolates (76; 46%), which comprised 38 (63.3%) MRSA, 14 (25.9%) MSSA, and 24 (47%) CoNS. Eleven (6.7%) and 24 (14.5%) isolates among the 165 Staphylococci carried smr and norA genes, respectively. In contrast, other resistance genes such as qacG, qacH, and qacJ were absent in all Staphylococci studied. The qacA/B and smr genes were detected concomitantly in 3% of isolates, and 23.6% strains of the total 165 Staphylococcus isolates were negative for each studied gene. CONCLUSIONS The carriage of several biocide resistance genes, including qacA/B, smr, and norA, alone or concurrently, is associated with reduced susceptibility. Use of antiseptics may select for antibiotic-resistant strains and assist their survival in the healthcare environment.