The dominant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone from hospitals in Cape Town has an unusual genotype: ST612.
There is currently limited information available on the molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in South Africa. A molecular characterization of 100 MRSA from five hospitals in Cape Town was carried out in this study. The strains were separated into six clusters by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, indicating transmission of MRSA between local hospitals. None of the strains carried the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin gene. SCCmec typing, multilocus sequence typing and spa typing were used to further characterize the MRSA. Three clones corresponded to frequently described pandemic clones: ST239-MRSA-III, ST36-MRSA-II and ST5-MRSA-I. ST239-MRSA-III and ST36-MRSA-II were minor clones and collectively accounted for 16% of the isolates. ST5-MRSA-I was the second-most prevalent clone and accounted for 37% of the isolates. The dominant local clone was the infrequently described ST612-MRSA-IV (44% of isolates), which has only been described in South Africa and Australia.
Jansen van Rensburg
M J
MJ
Division of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Eliya Madikane
V
V
Whitelaw
A
A
Chachage
M
M
Haffejee
S
S
Gay Elisha
B
B
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D006761:Hospitals; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D013019:South Africa; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*