title: [Molecular characterisation of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains ST398 in patients with skin infections and their relatives].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) of sequence type ST398 is a genetic lineage also described in human infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cutaneous infections related with MRSA ST398 are described in 3 patients, two of them pig farmers. The MRSA nasal carriage by patients and their relatives was also studied. MRSA ST398 strains were typed (SCCmec, spa, agr and MLST) and the antimicrobial resistance pattern and virulence genes were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty MRSA ST398 isolates were recovered in lesions of three patients, and in nasal samples of two patients and five relatives. Isolates were typed: spa-type t011 or t108; agr-type I and SCCmec IVa or V. MRSA strains were tetracycline-resistant and 15 of them showed a phenotype and genotype of multi-resistance, but they were free of tested virulence genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LA-MRSA ST398 is an emergent problem in our country, mainly associated with skin and soft tissue infections in people with professional relationships with pig farms. Tetracycline resistance is an important marker for MRSA ST398 detection.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Microbiología, Hospital Royo Villanova, Zaragoza, España. carmenaspiroz@gmail.com
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aspiroz
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gilaberte
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarazaga
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aldea
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*