title: No evidence of colonization with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men.
abstract: To assess the prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) colonization in HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men (MSM), a cross-sectional study was conducted on 104 persons attending a large STI/HIV unit in Rome, Italy in the period June 2007-June 2008. Swabs obtained from both anterior nares and S. aureus isolates were characterized by phenotypic and genotypic methods. A total of 24 individuals (23.1%) were colonized with S. aureus but none carried MRSA. No statistically significant association between colonization with S. aureus and behavioural, clinical, virological or immunological characteristics was identified. This study indicates a lack of circulation of CA-MRSA in HIV-1-infected MSM in Italy and underscores large epidemiological differences between the USA and a European country, so that only locally conducted epidemiological studies can provide insight into the local circulation of CA-MRSA in general and selected populations.
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa Complessa di Dermatologia Infettiva, Istituto Dermatologico S.Gallicano (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Latini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prignano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DE Santis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Impara
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palamara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pantosti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D012384:Rome / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology