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 we report on in vitro activity of tigecycline as well as the comparator antimicrobials linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin against 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 and identiied by PCR. The susceptibility of MSSA and MRSA isolates to tigecycline, linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin was 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%, to linezolid 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 other option exists.