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Spa type distribution in MRSA and MSSA bacteremias and association of spa clonal complexes with the clinical characteristics of bacteremia

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Abstract

The genetic distribution of invasive methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains has to be addressed in order to target infection control strategies. A large MRSA epidemic caused by a certain MRSA strain (spa type 067) broke out in 2001 in our health district. We wanted to investigate the current spa type distribution in MRSA and MSSA bacteremias and assess the potential association of spa clonal complexes (spaCC) with the clinical characteristics of S. aureus bacteremia. One hundred nine invasive MRSA isolates and 353 invasive MSSA isolates were spa typed and grouped into clonal complexes (spaCC). Spa type distribution was compared to that of colonizing MRSA strains. Spa type and spaCC data linked to clinical information on the course of bacteremic cases was used to search for differences in virulence between strains. Spa type distribution in MRSA is less heterogenic than in MSSA. t067 dominates both in MRSA colonisations and in invasive findings. Among MSSA, no such dominating strains were found. Of spaCCs, mortality was the highest in spaCC 067 (25.6%). SpaCC 008 was more often associated with endocarditis than other CCs (22.7 vs 5.8%, p = 0.013), spaCC 2133 with skin infections (68.4 vs 36.4%, p = 0.007), and spaCC 012 with foreign body infections (25.0 vs 9.3%, p = 0.029) than other clonal complexes. A single successful strain can explain the major proportion of MRSA among S. aureus bacteremias. Certain spaCCs showed association with certain clinical characteristics. These findings suggest that S. aureus strains differ in their virulence and invasiveness.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility Area of Tampere University Hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease Unit, Tampere University Hospital, Box 2000, FI-33521, Tampere, Finland

    Elina Jokinen, Reetta Huttunen & Jaana Syrjänen

  2. Institute of Biomedicine/Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Jaana Vuopio

  3. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Heini Huhtala

  4. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland

    Risto Vuento

  5. Department of Health Security, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

    Laura Lindholm & Jaana Vuopio

  6. School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Jaana Syrjänen

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  1. Elina Jokinen
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  2. Laura Lindholm
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  3. Reetta Huttunen
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  4. Heini Huhtala
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  5. Risto Vuento
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  6. Jaana Vuopio
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  7. Jaana Syrjänen
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Correspondence to Elina Jokinen.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Informed consent was not required because this was a retrospective study design based only on the review of hospital patient record data.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Ethical Review board of the Pirkanmaa Health District (R12254).

Additional information

This work was carried out at Tampere University Hospital and at School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.

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Jokinen, E., Lindholm, L., Huttunen, R. et al. Spa type distribution in MRSA and MSSA bacteremias and association of spa clonal complexes with the clinical characteristics of bacteremia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 37, 937–943 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-018-3210-1

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