[DNA homology between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the wounds caused by earthquake and those from patients from other areas during the same period].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the DNA homology between the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from the wounds caused by earthquake and those from the patients from non-earthquake-stricken areas.


METHODS
Five MRSA isolates were obtained from the wounds caused by earthquake of 5 in-patients admitted into the West China Hospital, and 6 MRSA isolates were obtained from the inpatient of the same hospital during the same period. DNA fingerprint alas was obtained by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based PCR (Rep-PCR) and homolog analysis was conducted with the help of Rep-based DiversiLab Microbial Typing system.


RESULTS
Five different patterns (A-E) were found among the 11 MRSA strains. The 5 strains isolated from the wounds caused by earthquake included subtype A (n = 1), subtype B (n = 2), subtype C (n = 1), and subtype E (n = 1). And the 6 stains isolated from the patient that come from non-earthquake-stricken areas included A (n = 3), subtype B (n = 1), subtype C (n = 1), and subtype D (n = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
The MRSA stains isolated from the wounds caused by earthquake are highly homologous with those isolated from the patient from non-disastrous areas during the same period.
Guo
Liang
L
Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Fan
Hong
H
Ye
Yuan-Xin
YX
Li
Nan
N
Chen
Hui-Li
HL
Xie
Yi
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial