Background: Nosocomial infections caused by multiresistant Gram-positive cocci are a serious problem for public health systems worldwide. The use of copper surfaces in hospital environments has proven to be an effective alternative for the control of various microorganisms, including multiresistant nosocomial pathogens.
Aim: To determine the association between antibiotic multiresistance and higher levels of copper tolerance in Gram-positive cocci isolated from Chilean hospitals, which might confer a selective advantage in environments with copper.
Methods: The ionic copper tolerance levels were evaluated using the Mueller Hinton agar dilution method, in S. aureus and Enterococcus spp. strains with different levels of susceptibility to clinically relevant antibiotics.
Results: A statistically significant association between higher levels of tolerance to copper ion and multi-resistance to antibiotics in Enterococcus spp. was observed.