Decreased susceptibility to chlorhexidine and distribution of qacA/B genes among coagulase-negative Staphylococcus clinical samples

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is a major public health problem. As a form of prevention and control, preparations of chlorhexidine are used extensively; however, the reduction of susceptibility to chlorhexidine has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC infectious diseases 2019-02, Vol.19 (1), p.199-199, Article 199
Main Authors: do Vale, Bruna Costa Moura, Nogueira, Acácia Gentil, Cidral, Thiago André, Lopes, Maria Carolina Soares, de Melo, Maria Celeste Nunes
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Biochemistry
Care and treatment
Chlorhexidine
Coagulase-negative Staphylococci
Cross infection
Disease susceptibility
Genes
Genetic aspects
Genetic research
Healthcare-associated infection
Infection
Methicillin
Methicillin resistance
Oxacillin
Penicillin G
Public health
qacA/B genes
Risk factors
Staphylococcal infections
Staphylococcus
Tetracyclines
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Summary:Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is a major public health problem. As a form of prevention and control, preparations of chlorhexidine are used extensively; however, the reduction of susceptibility to chlorhexidine has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility to chlorhexidine and the distribution of the qacA/B genes in 211 clinical isolates of coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS). CoNS were identified by conventional biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disk-diffusion. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chlorhexidine was determined by agar dilution test; detection of the qacA/B and mecA genes were evaluated by PCR. The most frequently isolated species were S. epidermidis, S. hominis hominis, S. auricularis, and S. haemolyticus, respectively. The strains presented a multidrug resistance profile of 87%, including methicillin resistance. Reduced susceptibility to chlorhexidine was observed in 31%. The qacA/B genes were detected in samples resistant (32/32) and susceptible (17/32) to chlorhexidine. The vast majority (94%) of the samples with reduced susceptibility to chlorhexidine were multidrug resistant. Our results show that qacA/B genes are not restricted to strains expressing chlorhexidine resistance. Further studies are needed to understand how the expression of these genes occurs.
ISSN:1471-2334
1471-2334
DOI:10.1186/s12879-019-3823-8