title: MRSA in children presenting to hospitals in Birmingham, UK.
abstract: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from children presenting to Birmingham hospitals were characterized using molecular methods. The study was performed on MRSA isolates from children aged </=16 years, identified between March 2004 and December 2004, from three hospitals offering general paediatric services. Fifty isolates were classified as either community-acquired (CA-MRSA) or hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. They underwent susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analyses. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology was used to determine the type of staphylococcal chromosome cassette (SCCmec) and the presence or absence of genes encoding Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL). Overall, 31 (62%) MRSA were defined as CA-MRSA. PFGE band pattern and SCCmec analysis were similar to EMRSA 15 for 72% of isolates. Over 80% of isolates contained SCCmec type IV; one isolate was untypable. Genes encoding PVL were not detected. MRSA in children presenting to Birmingham hospitals classified as CA-MRSA are most likely to resemble the usual hospital epidemic strains. None of the isolates fulfilled the criteria for de-novo CA-MRSA based on PFGE, PVL production and SCCmec analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK. adekolaa@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adedeji
authors.forename: T M A
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000378:metabolism; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus