title: Inter-strain comparison by pyrolysis mass spectrometry of Staphylococcus aureus isolates associated with nosocomial infection.
abstract: Pyrolysis mass spectrometry was used to characterise Staphylococcus aureus isolates from an outbreak of postoperative wound infections on a mixed surgical ward. The PyMS results were compared with those of phage typing. Both suggested a single strain of S. aureus, of phage type 3C, 55, 71, was responsible for six of the 13 wound infections. PyMS differentiated an isolate from a member of staff of similar phage type to the epidemic strain, which had previously been considered to be the point source for the outbreak. PyMS is a rapid and inexpensive technique for investigating nosocomial outbreaks, including those caused by S. aureus and, in this instance, was more discriminatory than phage typing.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory, General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Sisson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kòczián
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veszelovsky
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*