Association Of Inducible Clindamycin Resistance And Erm Genes Among Staphylococcus Aureus Isolates

Abstract

Background:Among pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus is the main cause of many different diseases. As a rule of thumb, clindamycin is the prime choice of medication in particular when it comes to treating resistant strains (MRSA), but the antibacterial ability of the antibiotic is deteriorating with the most often inducible promoted resistance due to erm genes such as ermA, ermB, and ermC.

Objective:This systematic review has the purpose of exploring the prevalence of inducible clindamycin resistance in S. aureus clinical isolates from India and associating it with the presence of erm genes at the molecular level.

Methodology:Complying with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a search was conducted by the authors in the Scopus database for the papers published between 2020 and 2025. A total of 45 studies from India were selected representing the years 2020 through 2025 and providing both the phenotypic detection (D-test) and the genotypic confirmation (PCR) of erm genes.

Results:This particular review highlighted that there was a range of prevalence of inducible clindamycin resistance from 33% to 62%. ermA (62%) and ermC (55%) genes were most frequently identified, while the third in frequency was ermB (48%). Real-Time PCR was the most common method used for detection. It was also found that India was the most productive country in the field of research on the topic.

Conclusion:India is currently faced with a situation of increasing risk of the rise of the resistance to clindamycin, which is primarily associated with the dissemination of erm genes in S. aureus isolates. Routinely performing D-tests and using molecular diagnostics are the guaranteed ways of not only steering the selection of the proper type of drugs but also reducing the chance of therapy being in vain.