Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clones circulating in Belgium from 2005 to 2009: changing epidemiology.

Abstract

The present study reports the evolution of the demographic characteristics and the molecular epidemiology of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in Belgium from 2005 to 2009. Four hundred and ten CA-MRSA isolates were prospectively collected and screened for the presence of Panton-Valentin leucocidin (PVL) and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) encoding genes, while clinical information were recorded. PVL- and TSST-1-positive isolates were genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type, spa type and multilocus sequence type (MLST) were determined on representative isolates. One hundred and fifty-nine (39 %) isolates were PVL-positive. PVL-positive isolates were significantly more frequently isolated from skin or soft tissue than PVL-negative isolates, causing mainly subcutaneous abscesses and furuncles. Patients with PVL-positive CA-MRSA were significantly younger than patients with PVL-negative CA-MRSA. Eighty-seven percent of the PVL-positive isolates belonged to a limited number (n = 7) of PFGE types belonging to sequence types (ST) ST80, ST8, ST30, ST5, ST152, ST338 and a new ST, a single-locus variant of ST1. A temporal evolution of the distribution of these PFGE types was observed, characterised by (1) the dissemination of the ST8-SCCmecIV arcA-positive (USA300) genotype and (2) a genetic diversification. Forty-seven (11 %) strains were TSST-1-positive, of which 65 % clustered into four PFGE types, all belonging to ST5. The epidemiology of CA-MRSA in Belgium is changing, as the rapid diffusion of the USA300 clone seems to occur, together with a clonal diversification.

• Authors: J Brauner, M Hallin, A Deplano, R De Mendonça, C Nonhoff, R De Ryck, S Roisin, M J Struelens, O Denis
• Journal: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology (Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis) Vol. 32 Issue 5 Pg. 613-20 (May 2013) ISSN: 1435-4373 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 23232976 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Bacterial Toxins
• DNA, Bacterial
• Enterotoxins
• Exotoxins
• Leukocidins
• Panton-Valentine leukocidin
• Superantigens
• enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (pharmacology)
• Bacterial Toxins (genetics)
• Belgium (epidemiology)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Community-Acquired Infections (epidemiology, microbiology)
• DNA, Bacterial (analysis, genetics)
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial
• Enterotoxins (genetics)
• Exotoxins (genetics)
• Female
• Humans
• Infant
• Leukocidins (genetics)
• Male
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (classification, drug effects, genetics, isolation & purification)
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Typing
• Prospective Studies
• Staphylococcal Infections (epidemiology, microbiology)
• Superantigens (genetics)