Characterisation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus harbouring the Panton-Valentine leucocidine

Abstract number: 1134_02_64

Anders A., Kaase M., Friedrich S., Gatermann S.G.

Objectives:

Until now methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been known only as a major problem in hospitals. Lately, a new kind of MRSA has been described. This MRSA is responsible for community-acquired infections (c-MRSA) and harbours the determinant for the Panton-Valentine leucocidine (PVL).

As there are descriptions of c-MRSA possessing the PVL throughout the world with different MLST types we wanted to characterize eleven c-MRSA from our area possessing the gene for Panton-Valentine leucocidine.

Methods:

The isolates were found from 1999 until the summer of 2004, the gene encoding PVL was verified by PCR.

We determined the PFGE pattern, the MLST type, the SCCmec type and the agr allele type of the eleven isolates.

Results:

So far all isolates belong to the ST 80 which has been also described elsewhere in Germany and in France but differs from the types found in the US (1 and 8) or in Australia (30 and 298). They possess a SCCmec element of type IVb and the agr3 allele type. All isolates were resistant to oxacillin, which was determined by mecA PCR, and all were resistant to fusidic acid. Only two were additionally resistant to erythromycin. No resistance could be found to fluoroquinolones.

The average age of patients was 47 years and they all had severe community-acquired abscesses of the skin or soft tissue that caused hospital admission.

Conclusion:

MRSA cannot be longer considered as affecting only hospitalized and elderly patients but we should also be aware of them in community-acquired infections.