title: Metro system in Guangzhou as a hazardous reservoir of methicillin-resistant Staphylococci: findings from a point-prevalence molecular epidemiologic study.
abstract: Staphylococci are common causes of healthcare-associated and community-associated infections. However, limited data are available on the prevalence, phenotypes and molecular characteristics of Staphylococci in metro system around the world. 320 surface samples were collected from the Guangzhou metro system to isolate and characterize Staphylococci strains. Of the samples, 75.6% (242/320) were contaminated with Staphylococci. The Staphylococci isolates, especially the methicillin resistant isolates, were resistance to most of the antibiotics, with 79.8% (193/242) classified as multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. 8 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carried a range of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types [I (1), II (3), III (2) and NT (2)]. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were classified into several ST types and showed possible cross transmissions of strains from various sources. All MRSA strains were positive for the qac gene, and only one methicillin-susceptible Staphylococci aureus (MSSA) strain was positive for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes. This study demonstrated that environmental surfaces in the Guangzhou metro system may be a hazardous reservoir for transmission of Staphylococci to passengers. The resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants observed among isolates was also noteworthy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Qianting
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Dongxin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health and Public Health Laboratory Center, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Junli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China.
authors.forename: Zhenjiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011890:Railroads; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C068498:qacA protein, Staphylococcus aureus