PharmacovigilanceOfficial

Spain's AEMPS flags mupirocin- and fusidic acid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in childhood impetigo cases

🇪🇸 AEMPS · Fri 13 Nov 2026

Cases in parts of Aragón and Palencia province may signal changing epidemiology; AEMPS and PRAN point to topical antiseptics and microbiological testing while the national antimicrobial guide is revised.

The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) has reported cases of childhood impetigo caused by Staphylococcus aureus strains resistant to mupirocin and fusidic acid. The notice, reference 32/2026, was published on 13 November 2026 under the National Plan against Antibiotic Resistance (PRAN).

Several healthcare professionals passed the information to the agency. The cases were located in parts of the autonomous community of Aragón and in the province of Palencia. In the cases described, initial treatment did not produce the expected response, and resistance to both antibiotics was confirmed afterwards.

Both products are ointments applied directly to the skin for mild, localised forms of impetigo. Laboratory studies identified groups of closely related bacteria with similar resistance patterns. AEMPS says this could point to a change in the epidemiology of the infection in some territories, without giving case numbers.

Experts in Aragón have drawn up recommendations for managing such cases. They include considering topical antiseptics for localised lesions before turning to antibiotics, and carrying out microbiological studies wherever possible to identify the bacteria involved and choose suitable treatment.

Impetigo is among the priorities for updating the PRAN Guide, the national antimicrobial therapy guide for the Spanish National Health System. Until that revision is complete, PRAN has made the information available to professionals. It stresses prudent antibiotic use, only when necessary, and continued resistance surveillance.

What it means for your team

  • Prescribers in Spain, particularly in the affected areas, may want to review first-line topical antibiotic use in localised paediatric impetigo and consider culture and susceptibility testing.
  • PV and QA teams holding mupirocin or fusidic acid topical products may wish to track the AEMPS notice and the forthcoming PRAN Guide update for any change in treatment recommendations.
  • The notice gives no case counts or geographic spread beyond Aragón and Palencia, so the extent of the resistance remains unclear.

Official source: AEMPS ↗

Article written by VigiEye from the official source (AEMPS). AI-assisted; check the source before acting.

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