title: Molecular epidemiology of multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus in Australian hospitals.
abstract: Antibiotic multiresistant isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from outbreaks of nosocomial infection throughout Australia were found to possess essentially similar patterns of antibiotic resistance. Plasmid DNA profiles from these isolates exhibited a common pattern of large plasmids, of (15-22) X 10(6) mol. wt, associated with resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin and tobramycin, plasmids of 3 X 10(6) mol. wt, mediating resistance to chloramphenicol, and cryptic plasmids of 1 X 10(6) mol. wt. Restriction endonuclease digestion confirmed the presence of related plasmids in isolates from all the hospitals that were surveyed. The homogeneity of these organisms suggests the dissemination of a multiresistant, plasmid-bearing strain of S. aureus, or its derivatives, among geographically-separated hospitals in Australia.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001315:Australia; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006801:Humans; D011815:R Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes