In-vitro activity of tigecycline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from wounds of burn patients in Tripoli-Libya

Objectives: Tigecycline is a new glycylcycline group antibiotic with broad-spectrum activity. In the present study wereport on in vitro activity of tigecycline as well as the comparator antimicrobials linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristinagainst methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)strains isolated from burn wounds in Tripoli-Libya.Materials and methods: Included in the study 155 MSSA and 144 MRSA isolates from wounds of burn patients andidentified by PCR. The susceptibility of MSSA and MRSA isolates to tigecycline, linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristinwas determined by the disc diffusion technique.Results: Of the MSSA and MRSA isolates examined, susceptibility to tigecycline was observed in 96.8% and 95.8%, tolinezolid in 97.4% and 96.5% and to quinupristin/dalfopristin in 98.1% and 97.2%, respectively.Conclusion: Tigecycline showed excellent in-vitro activity against MSSA and MRSA similar to the comparator drugs (i.e.linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin). However, tigecycline should be used to treat serious infections when no otheroption exists. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2012; 2(3): 109-112Kew words: Tigecycline; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); wounds, burn patients, Libya.