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Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes and staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec types amongst Finnish community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, 1997–1999

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Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from Finland covering years 1997–1999 were studied for the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene loci, and the clinically well-defined community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) strains (n = 108) also for staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) and multilocus sequence types (MLST). Only a minority (12%) of the CA-MRSA strains contained the PVL gene loci and possessed genotypes formerly described as typical to CA-MRSA strains. The majority of these strains were heterogenous by MLST and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis but, however, harboured the SCCmec cassette type IV. In conclusion, it seems doubtful to consider only molecular characteristics such as the presence of PVL genes as definite markers for CA-MRSA strains.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Wim Wannet for kindly helping us with setting up the PVL-PCR protocol.

This publication made use of the Multi Locus Sequence Typing Web site (http://www.mlst.net) at Imperial College London developed by David Aanensen and Man-Suen Chan and funded by the Wellcome Trust.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bacterial and Inflammatory Diseases, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300, Helsinki, Finland

    M. Kardén-Lilja, S. Ibrahem, J. Vuopio-Varkila, S. Salmenlinna, L. Siira & A. Virolainen

  2. Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    S. Salmenlinna

  3. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300, Helsinki, Finland

    O. Lyytikäinen

Authors
  1. M. Kardén-Lilja
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  2. S. Ibrahem
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  3. J. Vuopio-Varkila
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  4. S. Salmenlinna
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  5. O. Lyytikäinen
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  6. L. Siira
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  7. A. Virolainen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Virolainen.

Additional information

This data was partly presented at the 14th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), May 1–4, 2004, Prague, Czech Republic, Poster no. P1014.

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Kardén-Lilja, M., Ibrahem, S., Vuopio-Varkila, J. et al. Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes and staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec types amongst Finnish community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, 1997–1999. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 26, 729–733 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-007-0334-0

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