title: Evolution of MRSA during hospital transmission and intercontinental spread.
abstract: Current methods for differentiating isolates of predominant lineages of pathogenic bacteria often do not provide sufficient resolution to define precise relationships. Here, we describe a high-throughput genomics approach that provides a high-resolution view of the epidemiology and microevolution of a dominant strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This approach reveals the global geographic structure within the lineage, its intercontinental transmission through four decades, and the potential to trace person-to-person transmission within a hospital environment. The ability to interrogate and resolve bacterial populations is applicable to a range of infectious diseases, as well as microbial ecology.
authors.affiliation: The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 15A, UK.
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Feil
authors.forename: Matthew T G
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Quail
authors.forename: Emma K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Nickerson
authors.forename: Narisara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chantratita
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gardete
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Jodi A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Edgeworth
authors.forename: Hermínia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Lencastre
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkhill
authors.forename: Sharon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Bentley
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology