Author's response to reviews Title: Retrospective study of Necrotizing Fasciitis and Characterization of Its Associated Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Authors:

methods; instead of pulsotypes PFGE patterns should be used Response: Although the meaning of PFGE pattern is identical as pulsotype. However for better presentation in this manuscript, we preferred using pulsotype. Abstract conclusion is not clear and not related with article purpose Response: We rewrote the conclusion.conclusion is not clear and not related with article purpose Response: We rewrote the conclusion. Background *Authors should put a sentence related with how common MRSA infection in community in Taiwan. Instead of “Community-acquired ORSA (CA-ORSA) isolates are common pathogen for hemorrhagic necrotizing pneumonia and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), and more virulent than hospital-acquired ORSA (HA-ORSA)” **Following section should be re-written to be more clear “Virulence factors for toxemic syndrome, staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome (SSSS), and NF include toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1, a super-antigen), exfoliatin A (ETA), exfoliatin B (ETB), and PVL [18-22]. However, these factors function differently in pathogenicity. TSST-1 can cause in part a desquamative skin rash, fever, inability to maintain homeostasis, and multiple organ failure, staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) [23-24]; a pore-forming exotoxin, PVL, together with #-hemolysin (Hlg) can damage erythrocytes, polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells and macrophages [22]. The ETA and ETB are associated with localized bullous impetigo, generalized SSSS (Ritter’s disease), and a spectrum of blistering skin diseases [25-26]. Furthermore, CA-ORSA isolates with the PVL genes typically cause SSTIs and NF [4,27-28].” Its beter to give MRSA virülence factors and its association with pathogenicity in a simple manner not confusing manner above. ***“In this report, we did retrospective study of 247 NF cases during a 4-year period. Further, antimicrobialsusceptibility, SCCmec types, PFGE patterns, virulence factors, and MLST types of ORSA isolates associated with NF were characterized.” may be written as following In this study, we retrospectively evaluated 247 NF cases during the 2004-2008 period and invastigated antimicrobial susceptibility, SCC mec types, PFGE patterns, virulance factors, and MLST types of ORSA isolates associated with NF.