Outbreak of linezolid-resistant isolates in France with evidence of inter-species transfer of cfr-positive plasmid in several Staphylococcus aureus clones and one of the multidrug-resistant worldwide-disseminated “Australian” S. epidermidis clones.

Reports of linezolid resistance in clinical staphylococci remains scarce. However, the present study illustrates the efficient spread and persistence of a cfr-plasmid in a hospital, both by the dissemination of several staphylococcal clones and by the in vivo interspecies transfer between SE and SA, which represents a major threat for public health.