Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, in combination with genotyping of the Staphylococcus aureus chromosome, has become essential for defining methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones in epidemiological studies. We have developed a convenient system for SCCmec type assignment. The system consists of six multiplex PCRs (M-PCRs) for identifying the ccr gene complex (ccr), ...

OBJECTIVES Integrons are thought to play an important role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. This study investigates class 1 and 2 integron-positive methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci strains isolated in Iran and characterizes their patterns of antimicrobial resistance. METHODS Hundred clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci were characterized for integ...

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has rarely been reported in the hospital setting. We report an outbreak of 7 cases of skin and soft tissue infections due to a strain of CA-MRSA. All patients were admitted to the labor and delivery, nursery, or maternity units during a 3-week period. Genetic fingerprinting showed that the outbreak strain was closely rel...

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile Gram-positive coccus frequently found colonizing the skin and nasal membranes of humans. The acquisition of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec was a major milestone in the evolutionary path of methicillin-resistant S. aureus. This genetic element carries the mecA gene, the main determinant of methicillin resistance. MRSA is involved in a plethora of ...

OBJECTIVES Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus spp. results from the expression of an alternative penicillin-binding protein 2a (encoded by mecA) with a low affinity for β-lactam antibiotics. Recently, a novel variant of mecA known as mecC (formerly mecALGA251) was identified in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from both humans and animals. In this study, we identified two Staphylococcus sci...