A change in Belgian epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus phage types in 2000: phenotypic and genotypic characterization of isolates from a general hospital.
During 2000, new methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) epidemic phage types became preponderant in Belgium. In the present study, phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of 130 MRSA isolates from a general Belgian hospital were investigated. The MRSA nature of the isolates was confirmed by coagulase test, oxacillin screen plate test and detection of the mecA gene by polymerase chain reaction. Phage typing categorized the MRSA strains into two main groups: the [O]* types and the [J]* types. SmaI macrorestriction analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis gave the same pulsotype in the majority of strains. All strains of the [O]* and [J]* groups, except one, belonged to this pulsotype. Aminoglycoside-modifying-enzyme genes could only be detected in a minority of strains. Although the epidemic phage types of the mid-1990s appear to have been supplanted by the [O]* and [J]* groups, the MRSA population examined showed a remarkably uniform profile corresponding to the previous major clone B.
Wildemauwe
C
C
Pasteur Institute, Brussels, Belgium. cwildemauwe@pasteur.be
Godard
C
C
De Beenhouwer
H
H
Boel
A
A
Damée
S
S
Van Bossuyt
E
E
Vanhoof
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003030:Coagulase / Q000032:analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003030:Coagulase; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004798:Enzymes; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C025651:CCCGGG-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D010068:Oxacillin