Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), first reported in 1962, has now emerged as a major cause of nosocomial infections [1]. Strains of MRSA are efficient colonizers of the skin and mucous membranes and can cause outbreaks that are difficult to control [1–3]. In addition, they have demonstrated remarkable ability to become resistant to other antibiotics. Numerous MRSA strains are now resistant to many antibiotics, including erythromycin, tetracycline, gentamicin and the fluoroquinolones [1, 2, 4]. In centers with high incidence rates of MRSA, however, the only therapeutic option for patients with MRSA infections is treatment with vancomycin or teicoplanin. It is therefore alarming that vancomycin intermediatesusceptible MRSA strains (VISA) are being isolated with increasing frequency [5]. VISA strains have also been reported from several centers in the USA. A recent editorial describing this phenomenon was titled “Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: apocalypse now?”[6].