Molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from skin and soft tissue infections samples and healthy carriers in the Central Slovenia region

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is among the most important human pathogens. It is associated with different infections and is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). The aim of our study was to compare S. aureus isolates associated with SSTIs with isolates obtained from healthy carriers in the Central Slovenia region in terms of antimicrobial susceptibility, genetic diversity by clonal complex (CC)/sequence type, spa type, and by toxin gene profiling. In total, 274 S. aureus isolates were collected prospectively by culturing wound samples from 461 SSTI patients and nasal samples from 451 healthy carriers. We have demonstrated high heterogeneity in terms of CCs and spa type in both groups of isolates. The main clone among SSTI strains was Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene (pvl) positive CC121, whereas the main clone among carrier strains was CC45 carrying a large range of toxin genes. The main spa type in both groups was t091. Pvl was more frequently present in SSTI strains (31.2% SSTI vs 3.6% carrier strains) and staphylococcal enterotoxin C was more frequently present in carrier strains (1.6% SSTI vs 17.0% carrier strains). We have also demonstrated that methicillin-resistant S. aureus was a rare cause (2.8%) of SSTIs in our region.

Surveillance of bacterial colonisation on contact surfaces in different medical wards

“…Our results show similar resistance of staphylococci, including S. aureus, to penicillin and higher susceptibility to almost all other tested antibiotics. These data are comparable with reports of the skin isolates' susceptibility from the Central Slovenia region published by Švent-Kučina et al (45) and the isolates from the nasal mucosa of medical students in Japan (46). Švent-Kučina et al (45) also reported about 2.8 % of MRSA strains, which is slightly lower than the results of our study (5.2 %) and the results obtained by other authors (6.9 %) (25) ( Table 3).…”

Herbal medicines to the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections: advantages of the multi‐targets action

“…Among these bacteria, the main specie that causes SSTIs is Staphylococcus aureus (Svent‐Kucina et al, ). S. aureus expresses a wide array of secreted and cell‐surface‐associated virulence factors, including surface proteins, polysaccharide capsule, extracellular enzymes, toxins and superantigens that help in adhesion and invasion to host cells, evasion of immune responses and facilitate the tissue destruction and spreading (Foster, ).…”

Dekolonisation bei Nachweis von Methicillin-sensiblen Staphylococcus aureus bei Mitarbeitern einer neonatologischen Intensivstation

“…CC7-Isolate besitzen keine Virulenzfaktoren (z. B. pvl) [8]. Jedoch erscheint der spa-Typ t091 als gut adaptiert mit einem hohen Übertragungspotenzial.…”