title: Emergence of the European ST80 clone of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of healthcare-associated infections in Eastern Algeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors had for aim to assess whether an in-hospital spread of the European community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) clone was on-going in Annaba, Eastern Algeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a molecular epidemiological study of S. aureus strains causing infections in 4 hospitals located in Annaba, between February and October 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study revealed a very low healthcare-associated MRSA (HCA-MRSA) infection incidence rate of 0.34 per 1000 patient-days. However, the rates of HCA-MRSA strains (85/119) and CA-MRSA (7/29) among S. aureus strains are much higher than those found in France. The European CA-MRSA clone (clonal complex 80, Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec IVc, spa type t044, lukS/F-PV-positive) accounted for 14.1% of all healthcare-associated (HCA) MRSA infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed the emerging role of CA-MRSA as HCA pathogens in North-African Africa.
authors.affiliation: Departement of biochemistry, Badji Mokhtar University, Annaba, Algeria; Laboratoire central de microbiologie, hôpital Dorban, centre hospitalier universitaire d'Annaba, rue Bicha-Youcef 23000 Annaba RP, Annaba, Algeria. Electronic address: alioua.amine@live.fr.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alioua
authors.affiliation: Departement of biochemistry, Badji Mokhtar University, Annaba, Algeria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labid
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire central de microbiologie, hôpital Dorban, centre hospitalier universitaire d'Annaba, rue Bicha-Youcef 23000 Annaba RP, Annaba, Algeria.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amoura
authors.affiliation: Department of microbiology, Bichat-Claude-Bernard university hospital, Assisstance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertine
authors.affiliation: Departement of biochemistry, Badji Mokhtar University, Annaba, Algeria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gacemi-Kirane
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire central de microbiologie, hôpital Dorban, centre hospitalier universitaire d'Annaba, rue Bicha-Youcef 23000 Annaba RP, Annaba, Algeria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dekhil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000462:Algeria; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hospital outbreak; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; ST80-IV; Staphylococcus aureus résistant à la méticilline; Épidémie nosocomiale