Clonal shift and impact of azithromycin use on antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bloodstream infection during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Scientific reports 2025-01, Vol.15 (1), p.597
• Main Authors: de Oliveira Whitaker, Carolina, de Oliveira, Tamara Lopes Rocha, Ferreira, Adriana Lúcia Pires, Nouér, Simone Aranha, Chamon, Raiane Cardoso, dos Santos, Kátia Regina Netto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/326/1762; 631/326/22/1434; 631/326/421; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-84307-1

Staphylococcus aureus is a relevant pathogen in bloodstream infections (BSI), and the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic increased its antimicrobial resistance. S. aureus isolates from BSI (September/2019 - March/2021) were analyzed phenotypically and molecularly, in addition to the clinical features of the patients. Of 88 S. aureus isolates recovered from 85 patients, 25 were isolated before the pandemic and 63 during it, and 16 were from patients with COVID-19. A rate of 45.5% of methicillin-resistant isolates (MRSA) were found, and 5% of them were ceftaroline susceptible dose-dependent. Daptomycin non-susceptibility was observed in 9.1% of isolates. The USA800/ST5/SCC mec IV lineage was prevalent among MRSA isolates (41.8%). Besides, 30.2% of the isolates were associated with community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) genotypes. There was a significant impact on the resistance rates for cefoxitin, clindamycin and erythromycin among S. aureus isolates from BSI in COVID-19 patients and association with the previous use of azithromycin by them ( p