Incidence of glycopeptide hetero-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains in Maltese hospitals.

The incidence of hetero-intermediate glycopeptidesusceptibility among Staphylococcus aureusisolates in Malta, a country with a high incidenceof methicillin resistance, was studied by screening454 non-repetitive S. aureus isolates on teicoplanin-supplemented agar plates, followed by Etestsand genotypic studies. All strains were susceptibleto vancomycin, but four (0.88%) exhibitedteicoplanin MICs of > 12 mg? L. High methicillinresistantS. aureus endemicity was not an accuratepredictor of the emergence of non-susceptibilityto glycopeptides