Genotyping of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained in the Northeast region of Brazil

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major agent of hospital infections worldwide. In Brazil, a multiresistant MRSA lineage (ST239-SCCmecIIIA), the so-called Brazilian epidemic clone (BEC), has predominated in all regions. However, an increase in nosocomial infections caused by non-multiresistant MRSA clones has recently been observed. In the present study, 45 clinical isolates of MRSA obtained from a university hospital located in Natal city, Brazil, were identified by standard laboratory methods and molecularly characterized using staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using CLSI methods. The MRSA isolates studied displayed a total of 8 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns (types A to H) with predominance (73%) of pattern A (BEC-related). However, MRSA harboring SCCmec type IV were also identified, 3 (7%) of which were genetically related to the pediatric clone - USA800 (ST5-SCCmecIV). In addition, we found a considerable genetic diversity within BEC isolates. MRSA displaying SCCmecIV are frequently susceptible to the majority of non-β-lactam antibiotics. However, emergence of multiresistant variants of USA800 was detected.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Sousa-Junior,F.C. de, Silva-Carvalho,M.C., Fernandes,M.J.B.C., Vieira,M.F.P., Pellegrino,F.L.P.C., Figueiredo,A.M.S., Melo,M.C.N. de, Milan,E.P.
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica 2009
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2009001000002
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