Antimicrobial resistance and a versatile pathogen in the spotlight

Introduction: antimicrobial resistance is an emerging global phenomenon and is one of the most serious health problems today. The irrational use of antimicrobials has led to the early emergence of resistance mechanisms. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the pathogens classified as high priority for research and development plans for new antimicrobials due to its incidence causing infections with a high impact on health.Objective: to carry out an updated review of the problem of antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus, at a global and national level since the discovery of antibiotics, related factors and mechanisms.Methods: a literature search was carried out in different databases such as Pubmed, SciELO, Science Direct, Google Scholar, MEDLINE and on the PAHO/WHO websites on the topics of microbial resistance and use of antimicrobials. Original and review articles published between 1998 and 2024 were consulted.Results: the information collected on the topics was analyzed and arguedreview objects carried out under an integrative approach. What is happening in Cuba was also explained.Conclusions: The reproduction power of bacteria is faster than the speed of research and development. Faced with the difficult battle against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, given the development of new resistance mechanisms to eliminate the clinical effectiveness of antibiotics, the necessary measures must be adopted to stop the development of bacterial resistance.