Molecular typing of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from an intensive care unit.
Seventeen S. aureus clinical isolates, collected from an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) during a seven-month period were analyzed to investigate their antimicrobial susceptibility and clonal diversity. Eleven isolates (65%) were found to be resistant to methicillin (MRSA). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles of genomic DNAs, and analysis of the polymorphisms of the variable regions of the protein A (spa) and coagulase (coa) genes revealed a lower clonal heterogeneity among MRSA than among methicillin-susceptible isolates (MSSA). Two of the MRSA clones were repeatedly isolated in different patients, within a variable period of time, suggesting the presence in the ward of a resident, endemic and multi-drug resistant MRSA population. Our results also emphasize the lower discriminatory power of spa and coa typing compared with PFGE typing.
Zanelli
G
G
Clinica Malattie Infettive, Italia.
Pollini
S
S
Sansoni
A
A
Cresti
S
S
Pilli
E
E
Rossolini
G M
GM
Cellesi
C
C
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003030:Coagulase / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006785:Hospitals, University; D007297:Inpatients; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007558:Italy; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000235:genetics; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003030:Coagulase; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A