Characterization of epidemic and nonepidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in a university hospital in northeast Germany.
The aim of this study was to analyze methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated during a 1-year period by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, resistance phenotyping and determination of biochemical features. Eight different resistance phenotypes with the predominant resistance type Pen Oxa Cip (penicillin, oxacillin, ciprofloxacin) were observed. None of the strains tested exhibited decreased susceptibility to vancomycin, but two strains were resistant to mupirocin. Genetic relatedness of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates could be shown for two outbreaks, one of which was caused by a clone with an epidemic potential concerning duration of colonization/infection of patients and dissemination of the strains in the hospital.
Panzig
B
B
Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Germany. panzigb@uni-greifswald.de
Schröder
G
G
Schulz
K
K
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents