High prevalence of ST121 in community-associated methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus lineages responsible for skin and soft tissue infections in Portuguese children

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2011 Feb;30(2):293-7. doi: 10.1007/s10096-010-1087-8. Epub 2010 Nov 3.

Abstract

In order to evaluate the incidence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in Portugal, we analyzed a collection of 38 S. aureus isolates recovered from 30 children attending the pediatric emergency department of a central hospital in Lisbon due to skin and soft tissue infections. Molecular characterization identified seven clonal lineages among the 35 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates, of which the major lineage PFGE A/t159/ST121 included 63% of the isolates. The three MRSA isolates belonged to the Pediatric clone PFGE D/t535/ST5-IV (n = 2) and to the European CA-MRSA clone PFGE G/t044/ST80-IVc (n = 1). All isolates harbored several virulence factors, namely, leukocidins. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) was produced by isolates from five MSSA lineages and by the ST80 MRSA. Of interest, this is the first reported isolation of CA-MRSA ST80 in Portugal.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Typing Techniques*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Leukocidins / biosynthesis
  • Molecular Typing*
  • Portugal / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Soft Tissue Infections / epidemiology*
  • Soft Tissue Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / epidemiology*
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcus aureus / classification*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Virulence Factors / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Leukocidins
  • Virulence Factors