Reduced susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus to vancomycin--Japan, 1996.

Staphylococcus aureus is a virulent microorganism responsible for many serious infections among the general population. Since recognition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), the emergence of vancomycin resistance in S. aureus has been anticipated. This report describes the first documented case of infection caused by S. aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin and includes the initial characterization of this isolate (1); the case occurred in a pediatric patient in Japan. The emergence of reduced vancomycin susceptibility in S. aureus increases the possibility that some strains will become fully resistant and that currently available antimicrobial agents will become ineffective for treating infections caused by such strains.