title: Comparison of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from teaching hospitals in London and the USA, 2004-2006: where is USA300 in the UK?
abstract: Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is increasingly common in the USA, but rare in the UK. We compared CA-MRSA from the UK and USA to examine differences in the molecular epidemiology. We investigated patients presenting with MRSA in the first 72 h of hospital admission or in out-patient settings in a UK and a US hospital from January 2004 to March 2006. Fluoroquinolone susceptibility was used as a screening marker to select presumptive CA-MRSA. One hundred and eighteen and 49 such strains were identified, representing a prevalence of 0.1 and 0.2 isolates per 1,000 patient days in the UK and US respectively. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive ST8-IVa (USA300)-type strains predominated among 43 surviving US isolates, whereas PVL-negative ST1-IVa predominated among 71 surviving UK isolates. There are striking differences between the molecular epidemiology of CA-MRSA in UK and US hospitals, which may have implications for control.
authors.affiliation: Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital and King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Otter
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Havill
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boyce
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin