Detection and characterization of an ST97-SCCmec-V community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone in a neonatal intensive care unit and special care baby unit

Abstract

A total of 29 meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were obtained from 15 neonates and three healthcare workers (HCWs) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and special care baby unit (SCBU) and four patients in a medical ward of a Kuwait hospital between 10 and 30 April 2007. The isolates were characterized using antibiogram results, coagulase gene RFLP (coa-RFLP), PFGE, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All isolates were assessed for the carriage of PantonValentine leukocidin (PVL) and arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) genes. The isolates belonged to three SCCmec types, six coa-RFLP types, six pulsotypes and six sequence types. One isolate was positive for PVL. None were positive for ACME. All MRSA isolates from the 15 neonates were phenotypically and genetically different from the MRSA isolates obtained from HCWs and those from patients in other wards. They were resistant to gentamicin, kanamycin and fusidic acid, had identical coa-RFLP and PFGE patterns, carried the type V SCCmec element and belonged to MLST sequence type ST97. The results showed the transmission of a rare clone of community-associated MRSA belonging to ST97 with the SCCmec-V genotype among neonates in a NICU and SCBU.

Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in nosocomial infections in a tertiary-care facility: emergence of new clonal complexes in Saudi Arabia

“…This MRSA clonal complex has only been sporadically identified in reports from Australia, France, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Egypt [10], [25]. Seven of the eight CC97 strains in this study were CC97-MRSA-V [ fusC + ] and were similar to those previously identified in Saudi Arabia [8].…”

Molecular Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Bovine Mastitis and Close Human Contacts in South African Dairy Herds: Genetic Diversity and Inter-Species Host Transmission

“…At sites D and E, the predominant bovine strains detected, PT7/ST352/CC97/t1201 and PT2/ST97/CC97/t189 respectively were also recovered from human nasal swabs collected at the sites. Staphylococcus aureus ST97 strains have been reported from human carriage and clinical specimens (Lozano et al, 2011; Udo et al, 2011; Spoor et al, 2013). The presence of virulence markers such as hlb, luk ED, and luk M, which, although not exclusively found in bovine-associated strains, but are known to provide a selective advantage in the bovine host, suggest that the S. aureus isolates are bovine in origin.…”

Impact of Strain Typing Methods on Assessment of Relationship between Paired Nares and Wound Isolates of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

“…Although the methods examined in this study may potentially be effective in tracking transmission in an outbreak setting with a unique strain, if there are common strains within the population, the discrete patient-to-patient transmission is difficult to assess. Other techniques, such as spa typing, MLST, or binary typing, may provide additional discrimination (25,26,30,32,33).…”