Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus infections in Timor-Leste, January–July 2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2026.50.028Keywords:
Staphylococcus aureus, MSSA, MRSA, antibiotic resistance, Timor-LesteAbstract
Background
The nation of Timor-Leste has a significant burden of infectious disease but has historically had limited diagnostic capacity and limited availability of microbiology data on human health. Recent developments in the diagnosis and reporting of key pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus have allowed better understanding of the burden of key infectious diseases and their impact on the population of Timor-Leste.
Methods
A prospective observational study was performed on clinical isolates of S. aureus received at Laboratório da Saúde in Dili, Timor-Leste between January 2020 and July 2020. Clinical samples were obtained from patients living in 11 of the 13 municipalities in Timor-Leste. Standard microbiology culture, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed, and clinical and demographic data were collected on laboratory-confirmed S. aureus isolates.
Results
A total of 59 clinical isolates of S. aureus were identified. Most patients in our study were found to have community-acquired S. aureus (75%), whilst the remaining 25% were hospital-associated infections. Of S. aureus isolates, 25% were found to be methicillin-resistant.
Conclusion
This is the first description of S. aureus infections in Timor-Leste. The high MRSA rates identified in this study can be used to better inform guidelines for the empirical treatment of S. aureus infection. Continuous investment in detecting clinically important pathogens and understanding their susceptibility profiles is critical for the development of treatment guidelines and antibiotic stewardship activities.
Downloads
References
Murray CJ, Ikuta KS, Sharara F, Swetschinski L, Robles Aguilar G, Gray A et al. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Lancet. 2022;399(10325):629–55. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0.
Gandra S, Alvarez-Uria G, Turner P, Joshi J, Limmathurotsakul D, van Doorn HR et al. Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in low- and middle- income countries: progress and challenges in eight South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;33(3):e00048-19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00048-19.
Ayukekbong JA, Ntemgwa M, Atabe AN. The threat of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries: causes and control strategies. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2017;6(1):47. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-017-0208-x.
Pokharel S, Raut S, Adhikari B. Tackling antimicrobial resistance in low-income and middle-income countries. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(6):e002104. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002104.
Collignon P, Beggs JJ, Walsh TR, Gandra S, Laxminarayan R. Anthropological and socioeconomic factors contributing to global antimicrobial resistance: a univariate and multivariable analysis. Lancet Planet Health. 2018;2(9):e398–405. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30186-4.
Francis JR, Sarmento N, Draper ADK, Marr I, Ting S, Fancourt N et al. Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use in Timor-Leste: building surveillance capacity with a One Health approach. Commun Dis Intell (2018). 2020;44. doi: https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2020.44.1.
Sarmento N, Oakley T, Soares da Silva E, Tilman A, Monteiro M, Alves L et al. Strong relationships between the Northern Territory of Australia and Timor-Leste. Microbiol Aust. 2022;43(3)125–9. doi: https://doi.org/10.1071/MA22039.
Marr I, Sarmento N, O’Brien M, Lee K, Gusmao C, de Castro G et al. Antimicrobial resistance in urine and skin isolates in Timor-Leste. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2018;13:135–8. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgar.2017.12.010.
European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Breakpoint tables for interpretation of MICs and zone diameters: Version 10.0. Växjö: EUCAST; 1 January 2020. Available from: https://www.eucast.org/fileadmin/src/media/PDFs/EUCAST_files/Breakpoint_tables/v_10.0_Breakpoint_Tables.pdf.
Wu Q, Sabokroo N, Wang Y, Hashemian M, Karamollahi S, Kouhsari E. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiology of vancomycin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2021;10(1):101. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-021-00967-y. [Retracted article.]
Oakley T, Marr I, Townell N, Heney C, Jackson W, Evans M et al. Pacific Regional Infectious Disease Association (PRIDA): capacity-building for microbiology and infectious disease across the Pacific. Microbiol Aust. 2021;42(4):182–6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1071/MA21051.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Communicable Diseases Intelligence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
