title: Molecular epidemiology of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus colonizing the anterior Nares of school children of Udupi Taluk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) cause serious skin and soft tissue infections including necrotizing fasciitis and necrotizing pneumonia. Production of Panton Valentine Leucocidine (PVL) toxin is implicated in its enhanced virulence. A variant of epidemic MRSA-15 (EMRSA-15) which produces PVL toxin has been isolated and characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method from the Indian population both in hospital and community settings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Identify the epidemiological type of MRSA colonizing the anterior nares of school children in Udupi taluk.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included children of the age group of 5-16 years belonging to the Udupi taluk of Karnataka, India. A total of 1503 children were screened for MRSA colonization during July 2009 to December 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  PVL assay, Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome (SCC) mec typing and PFGE typing were carried out with all the MRSA isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency distribution of different variables was assessed by SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 1.1% of MRSA, 58.8% (10/17) of isolates were positive for pvl and 41.7% (7/17) were identified as SCC mec type IV. PFGE patterns of all the strains were identical with Indian variant EMRSA-15; however they were different from classical EMRSA-15 in 3-4 bands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Indian variant EMRSA-15 gains much epidemiological relevance owing to the acquisition of pvl gene. In spite of low prevalence of nasal colonization of MRSA, emergence of the virulent Indian variant EMRSA-15 in our community is a worrisome fact to be reckoned with.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, India.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Govindan
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Maroli
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Ciraj
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Bairy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058889:Molecular Typing; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*