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Diversity of community acquired MRSA carrying the PVL gene in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases volume 30, pages 1163–1167 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Emergence and dissemination of community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains are being reported with increasing frequency in Australia and worldwide. These strains of CA-MRSA are genetically diverse and distinct in Australia. Genotyping of CA-MRSA using eight highly-discriminatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is a rapid and robust method for monitoring the dissemination of these strains in the community. In this study, a SNP genotyping method was used to investigate the molecular epidemiology of 249 community acquired non-multiresistant MRSA (nm-MRSA) isolates over a 12-month period from routine diagnostic specimens. A real-time PCR for the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) was also performed on these isolates. The CA-MRSA isolates were sourced from a large private laboratory in Brisbane, Australia that serves a wide geographic region encompassing Queensland and Northern New South Wales. This study identified 16 different STs and 98% of the CA-MRSA isolates were positive for the PVL gene. The most common ST was ST93 with 41% of isolates testing positive for this clone.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Queensland Medical Laboratory, Brisbane, Australia

    M.-E. Costello

  2. Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia

    F. Huygens

Authors
  1. M.-E. Costello
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  2. F. Huygens
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Correspondence to F. Huygens.

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Costello, ME., Huygens, F. Diversity of community acquired MRSA carrying the PVL gene in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 30, 1163–1167 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1203-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1203-4

Keywords

  • Nursing Home Resident
  • Soft Tissue Infection
  • ST93 Strain
  • South East Queensland
  • Antimicrobial Disc Susceptibility Testing