Epidemiological investigation of exfoliative toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus strains in hospitalized patients.
The incidence of exfoliative toxin-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus was studied. Samples from hospitalized patients of all ages and samples from infants less than 6 weeks old were screened; out of 2,632 coagulase-positive S. aureus strains tested, 6.2% synthesized exfoliative toxin. The clinical features could be assessed in 86 patients harboring exfoliative toxin-producing staphylococci. Skin lesions (pustules, blisters, and bullous impetigo) could be observed only when the exfoliative toxin-positive strains were isolated from the skin. Phage nongroup II strains seemed less skin pathogenic than phage group II strains. Outbreaks and sporadic cases were observed.
D000818:Animals; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005083:Exfoliatins / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007297:Inpatients; D011817:Rabbits; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D005083:Exfoliatins