Outbreak of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a cluster analysis.
BACKGROUND
Outbreaks of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus over eight years were investigated to prevent future endemic.


METHODS
Isolates of multiresistant S. aureus underwent a cluster analysis combined with canonical discriminant analysis using bacteriologic biotyping and sensitivity to 21 drugs.


RESULTS
Of a total of 786 strains recovered from 155 in-patients, the specialty surgical ward (SW) exhibited 470 isolates (59.8%) and the general SW 214 (27.2%). Among six clusters formed, four clusters were predominant in the general SW. An ordination diagram from the canonical discriminant analysis revealed a distribution in which clusters were localized temporally (year) and spatially (ward). A yearly shift of clusters indicated emergence of a new phenotype of multiresistant S. aureus.


CONCLUSIONS
The cluster analysis of isolates of multiresistant S. aureus using biotyping and sensitivity may supplement the classical method of tracing the spreading patterns of this microbe.
Yoshida
J
J
Department of Surgery, National Shimonoseki Hospital, Japan.
Nagata
T
T
Nishioka
Y
Y
Nose
Y
Y
Tanaka
M
M
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents