Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis are pathogens associated with nosocomial infections (1). Their remarkable ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance limits therapeutic options and may contribute to patient morbidity and mortality (2, 3). MRSA and MRSE present the mecA gene that is located in a staphylococcal chromosome cassette (SCCmec). The most frequent SCCmec types are I, II and III, which are hospital-acquired, and IV, which is community-acquired (2, 4).Macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B antibiotics can be used as alternative therapies for staphylococcal infections, but resistance to these drugs has already been observed ( encoded by erm genes, and an ATP-dependent efflux pump conferred by the msr(A) gene (6).In order to characterize MLS b resistance in MRSA and MRSE Brazilian isolates, we analyzed the distribution of erm(A, B and C) and msr(A) genes and the MICs for erythromycin and clindamycin in these isolates and correlated our findings with their SCCmec types.We analyzed 71 clinical isolates, 39 S. aureus and 32 S. epidermidis, identified as erythromycin and methicillinresistant by automated systems, obtained between June 2004 and June 2009 from different hospitals in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. Among the isolates, 42% were from blood, 26% surgical sites, 9% cutaneous secretions, 7% tracheal secretions and 16% other sites. Twenty (62.5%)