Linezolid‐resistant S. epidermidis clone ST‐2 isolated from a patient who did not receive any course of oxazolidinone therapy: a case report

Introduction: Linezolid has excellent activity against multidrug‐resistant Staphylococcus spp. and linezolid resistance has emerged mainly in isolates recovered from patients who are receiving courses of oxazolidinone therapy. Case presentation: We report a clinical case of bacteraemia caused by a linezolid‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis clone ST‐2 with the G2576T mutation in five copies of the 23S rRNA gene (MIC, 32 µg ml−1) isolated from a patient who did not receive any course of oxazolidinone therapy. The S. epidermidis HSPE24‐SP strain was WT for L3, L4 and L22 ribosomal proteins, cfr negative and indistinguishable by PFGE from the clone that circulated at the same time in another tertiary care hospital located in the same city. Conclusion: This report suggests the inter‐hospital spread of S. epidermidis clone ST‐2 and calls attention to the possibility of isolation of a linezolid‐resistant strain with multiple 23S rRNA mutated copies in an environment under no oxazolidinone selective pressure.