title: Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in Ukraine: antibacterial resistance and virulence factor encoding genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of studies regarding the incidence of multidrug resistant strains and distribution of genes encoding virulence factors, which have colonized the post-Soviet states, is considerably limited. The aim of the study was (1) to assess the Staphylococcus (S.) aureus nasal carriage rate, including Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains in adult Ukrainian population, (2) to determine antibiotic resistant pattern and (3) the occurrence of Panton Valentine Leukocidine (PVL)-, Fibronectin-Binding Protein A (FnBPA)- and Exfoliative Toxin (ET)-encoding genes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal samples for S. aureus culture were obtained from 245 adults. The susceptibility pattern for several classes of antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines. The virulence factor encoding genes, mecA, lukS-lukF, eta, etb, etd, fnbA, were detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The S. aureus nasal carriage rate was 40%. The prevalence of nasal MRSA carriage in adults was 3.7%. LukS-lukF genes were detected in over 58% of the strains. ET-encoding genes were detected in over 39% of the strains and the most prevalent was etd. The fnbA gene was detected in over 59% of the strains. All MRSA isolates tested were positive for the mecA gene. LukS-lukF genes and the etd gene were commonly co-present in MRSA, while lukS-lukF genes and the fnbA gene were commonly co-present in Methicillin Sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) isolates. No significant difference was detected between the occurrence of lukS-lukF genes (P > 0.05) and the etd gene (P > 0.05) when comparing MRSA and MSSA. The occurrence of the fnbA gene was significantly more frequent in MSSA strains (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Ukraine, S. aureus is a common cause of infection. The prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage in our cohort of patients from Ukraine was 40.4%. We found that 9.1% of the strains were classified as MRSA and all MRSA isolates tested positive for the mecA gene. We also observed a high prevalence of PVL- and ET- encoding genes among S. aureus nasal carriage strains. A systematic surveillance system can help prevent transmission and spread of drug resistant toxin producing S. aureus strains.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Netsvyetayeva
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraczek
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piskorska
authors.forename: Marlena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Golas
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sikora
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mlynarczyk
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Swoboda-Kopec
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marusza
authors.forename: Beniamino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Mount Preston Street, Garstang building, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK. tommaso.iannitti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iannitti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014455:Ukraine; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors