title: Molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus from Lambaréné, Gabon.
abstract: While there is an abundance of data on the epidemiology and molecular typing of Staphylococcus aureus, especially those carrying Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) genes or mecA from Western Europe, Northern America and Australia, comparably few studies target African strains. In this study, we characterised genes associated with virulence and resistance, as well the phylogenetic background of S. aureus from healthy carriers and outpatients in Gabon. In total, 103 isolates from 96 study participants were characterised. Seventy-nine isolates originated from throat swabs and 24 isolates from skin lesions. Three isolates carried mecA, although only one, belonging to CC8-MRSA-IV [PVL+] 'USA300', was found to be phenotypically oxacillin-resistant; two CC88-MRSA-IV isolates appeared to be oxacillin-susceptible. PVL genes were common, with a total of 44 isolates (43 %) found to be PVL-positive. CC15-MSSA [PVL+] (n = 29) and CC152-MSSA [PVL+] (n = 9) were the predominant clones among the PVL-positive isolates. Among PVL-negative isolates, CC5-MSSA (n = 12), CC101-MSSA (n = 10) and CC15 (n = 9) were the most frequent. A hitherto undescribed multilocus sequence type of S. schweitzeri was detected twice in unrelated patients. The data emphasise a need for further studies on the role of PVL in African populations and the clinical significance of S. schweitzeri.
authors.affiliation: Department for Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.affiliation: Department for Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toepfner
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon.|Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alabi
authors.affiliation: Department for Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Tübingen, Germany.|Department for Pediatric Pneumology and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bélard
authors.affiliation: Department for Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Falke
authors.affiliation: Department for Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Menschner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, "Carl Gustav Carus", Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. monecke@rocketmail.com.|Alere Technologies GmbH/InfectoGnostics Research Campus, Jena, Germany. monecke@rocketmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monecke
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, "Carl Gustav Carus", Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruppelt-Lorz
authors.affiliation: Department for Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010045:Outpatients; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus