Characteristics of Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) Strains Isolated from Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections in Uruguay

Pardo, Lorena; Machado, Virginia; Mollerach, Marta; Mota, María Inés; Tuchscherr, Lorena P. N.; Gadea, Pilar; Gardella, Noella; Sordelli, Daniel O.; Vola, Magdalena; Schelotto, Felipe; Varela, Gustavo

Characteristics of Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) Strains Isolated from Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections in Uruguay

2009

Pardo, Lorena(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine) | Machado, Virginia(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine) | Mollerach, Marta(Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica) | Mota, María Inés(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine) | Tuchscherr, Lorena P. N.(Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine) | Gadea, Pilar(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine) | Gardella, Noella(Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica) | Sordelli, Daniel O.(Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine) | Vola, Magdalena(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine) | Schelotto, Felipe(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine) | Varela, Gustavo(Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Institute of Hygiene, School of Medicine)

We analyzed 90 nonduplicates community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) strains isolated from skin and soft-tissue infections. All strains were mecA positive. Twenty-four of the 90 strains showed inducible macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance. All strains produced α-toxin; 96% and 100% of them displayed positive results for lukS-F and cna genes, respectively. Eigthy-five strains expressed capsular polysaccharide serotype 8. Six different pulsotypes were discriminated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and three predominant groups of CA-MRSA strains (1, 2, and 4) were identified, in agreement with phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Strains of group 1 (pulsotype A, CP8+, and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)+) were the most frequently recovered and exhibited a PFGE band pattern identical to other CA-MRSA strains previously isolated in Uruguay and Brazil. Three years after the first local CA-MRSA report, these strains are still producing skin and soft-tissue infections demonstrating the stability over time of this community-associated emerging pathogen.

Show more [+]