title: Tracing the source of an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary-care oncology hospital by epidemiology and molecular methods.
abstract: This study describes the clinical and molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates that emerged after an index case in a tertiary-care oncology hospital in Mexico City and identifies whether these isolates were related with the index case. All MRSA strains isolated from January 2006 until December 2007 were included. The clinical and demographic characteristics of patients were analyzed; molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to characterize the isolates. We included 44 MRSA isolates from 55 patients. Thirty-eight patients (86.4%) were classified with nosocomial infection and the remainder with healthcare-related infection. A single pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern (C) was identified with minor variations (two subtypes). The isolates analyzed were staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec type II (related with the New York-Japan strain). This case underscores the need to intensify strategies that identify and limit the spread of multiresistant pathogens imported by infected patients referred from other healthcare centers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornejo-Juárez
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volkow-Fernández
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sifuentes-Osornio
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Echániz-Aviles
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Velázquez-Acosta
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bobadilla-Del-Valle
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gordillo-Molina
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Velazquez-Meza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents