title: Characteristics of SCCmec IV and V Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Israel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in healthy individuals is not common in Israel. In our hospital, about 30% of MRSA isolates were SCCmec types IV and V.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients carrying MRSA SCCmec type IV or V, and to compare them with each other and with those of patients with SCCmec types I-III.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-control study that included 501 patients from whom MRSA was isolated: 254 with SCCmec type I, II, or III, and 243 isolates from SCCmec types IV or V.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MRSA was isolated from surveillance cultures in 75% of patients and from a clinical site in 25%. The majority of our study population was elderly, from nursing homes, and with extensive exposure to health care. First, we compared characteristics of patients identified through screening. Statistically significant predictors of SCCmec V vs. IV were Arab ethnicity (OR 7.44, 95% CI 1.5-37.9) and hospitalization in the year prior to study inclusion (OR 5.7, 95% CI 1.9-16.9). No differences were found between patients with SCCmec types I-III and patients with SCCmec type IV or V. Analysis of the subset of patients who had clinical cultures yielded similar results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCCmec types IV and V were common in the hospital setting although rare in the community. It seems that in Israel, SCCmec IV and V are predominantly health care-associated MRSA.
authors.forename: Pnina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shitrit
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Openhaim
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reisfeld
authors.forename: Yossi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Paitan
authors.forename: Gili
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Regev-Yochay
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Carmeli
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chowers
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018912:Arabs; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial