Characterization of three Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a 17-year-old female who died of tampon-related toxic shock syndrome.
We report the identification and characterization of three Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from throat and vaginal cultures, as well as from an axillary abscess, of a 17-year-old female who died of tampon-related toxic shock syndrome. The three S. aureus isolates were unrelated as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The vaginal isolate was mecA, Panton-Valentine leukocidin, and staphylococcal enterotoxin B and C negative, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 positive, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) untypeable, which was consistent with the clinical and autopsy findings that death was due to tampon-related toxic shock syndrome.
Tang
Yi-Wei
YW
Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Molecular Infectious Disease Laboratory, Vanderbilt University Hospital, 4605 TVC, Nashville, TN 37232-5310, USA. yiwei.tang@vanderbilt.edu
Himmelfarb
Eric
E
Wills
Marcia
M
Stratton
Charles W
CW
D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology; D000293:Adolescent; D001365:Axilla / Q000382:microbiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics; D052576:Menstrual Hygiene Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000235:genetics; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal; C034959:enterotoxin C, staphylococcal