Clonal spreading of methicillin-resistant SCCmec Staphylococcus aureus with specific spa and dru types in central Taiwan

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012 Apr;31(4):499-504. doi: 10.1007/s10096-011-1338-3. Epub 2011 Jul 26.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to delineate the molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Taiwan. Ninety-six MRSA isolates were collected from the blood cultures of different patients during the period July to December of 2008. The spa typing, staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec) typing, mec-associated direct repeat unit (dru) copy numbers, and toxin genes (sea, seb, sec, tst, lukS/F) of each isolate were determined. Thirty-eight, 28, 18, and 12 MRSA isolates were SCCmec type II, SCCmec type III, SCCmec type IV, and SCCmec type V, respectively. Most (31/38, 81.6%) of the SCCmec type II isolates were of spa t002 with four dru repeats. Some of them also carried the sec or tst toxin gene (67.7 and 80.6%, respectively). Of the 28 SCCmec type III MRSA isolates, 15 (53.6%) were of t037 with 14 dru repeats, and all also carried the sea gene. Of the 18 SCCmec type IV MRSA isolates, 13 (72.2%) were of t437 with nine dru repeats, and ten of them also had the seb gene. Among the SCCmec type V MRSA isolates, nine were type V(T). Five (55.6%) of them were of t437 with 11 dru repeats, and all contained the lukS/F gene. The clonal spreading of SCCmec MRSA strains with specific spa and dru types was found. Further longitudinal, multiple-site surveillance is required in order to define the MRSA evolution in Taiwan.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bacteremia / epidemiology*
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Blood / microbiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / classification*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Typing*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Taiwan / epidemiology
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Virulence Factors