INTRODUCTION Staphylococcus aureus is the etiological agent for a wide range of human infections, and its pathogenicity largely depends on various virulence factors associated with adherence, evasion of the immune system and damage of the host. This study determined the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and some selected virulence genes in clinical isolates of S. aureus from ...

We developed a novel PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism test for the ccrB gene by using HinfI and BsmI for rapid typing of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). When tested with reference strains and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates, the method proved to be valid and useful for rapid identification of four SCCmec types, especially type IV.

We previously published a simple multiplex PCR assay for quick-screening of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) types I-V, which has been extensively used worldwide. An updated assay is described here and the changes serve to make this rapid assay more accurate and reliable in facilitating identification of most common and major SCCmec types.

BACKGROUND Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a major global problem. This study attempted to investigate the prevalence of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains among 360 healthy university students at An-Najah National University, Palestine. For the purpose of comparing the staphylococcal...

BACKGROUND Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Thailand occur most frequently in healthcare facilities. However, reports of community-associated MRSA are limited. METHODS We characterized 14 MRSA isolates from outpatients (O-1 to O-14) by phenotypic and genotypic methods and compared them with 5 isolates from inpatients (I-1 to I-5). Thai MRSA isolates f...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is intrinsically cross-resistant to virtually all β-lactam antibiotics. The central determinant for the MRSA phenotype is the mecA gene, whose transcriptional control may be mediated by a repressor (mecI) and a sensor/inducer (mecR1). The mecI-mecR1-mediated induction of mecA takes several hours rendering the strains phenotypically susceptible ...

OBJECTIVES Worldwide spread of a limited number of Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) -producing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones has been reported in various communities. The objective of this study was to describe the molecular characteristics of the first PVL-positive MRSA strains isolated in Belgium. METHODS Clinical MRSA isolates (n = 41) collected from 2002 to 20...

BACKGROUND Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) has emerged globally in companion animals in the last decade. In Europe, the multidrug-resistant sequence type (ST)71 is widespread, but recently other clones have appeared. The objective of this study was to examine genotypic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of clinical MRSP isolates obtained from dogs, including dog...