Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus containing the Panton-Valentine leucocidin gene in Germany in 2005 and 2006.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to attribute Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to clonal lineages by molecular typing with special reference to isolates exhibiting spa type t008/multilocus sequence type (MLST) ST8 [widely disseminated in the USA as 'community-associated MRSA (caMRSA) USA300'].


METHODS
PVL-positive MRSA (n = 117) were detected among 4815 MRSA sent to the German National Reference Laboratory for typing. These isolates were analysed by PFGE, spa typing, multilocus sequence typing, grouping of SCCmec elements and PCR detection of arcA, msr(A), mph(B) and the > or =6 AT repeat unit in the SACOL0058 sequence.


RESULTS
Among the 117 isolates, 80 exhibited spa type t044 (corresponding to MLST ST80) and 23 exhibited spa type t008/MLST ST8. Other spa types were sporadically represented. Further characterization of isolates exhibiting t008/ST8 by PCR [arcA, msr(A), mph(B), > or =6 AT repeat signature] indicates the arrival of caMRSA 'USA300' in Central Europe.


CONCLUSIONS
caMRSA ST80 still predominate; however, caMRSA ST8 exhibiting the characteristics of the 'USA300' clone became the second most frequent. Routine detection of this clone in clinical bacteriology can be easily performed by PCR.
Witte
Wolfgang
W
Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode Branch, 38855 Wernigerode, Germany. wittew@rki.de
Strommenger
Birgit
B
Cuny
Christa
C
Heuck
Dagmar
D
Nuebel
Ulrich
U
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; C119204:streptococcal protective antigen