Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A portrait of Staphylococcus aureus from the other side of the Mediterranean Sea: molecular characteristics of isolates from Western Algeria

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Algerian hospitals have experienced a dramatic increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence in recent years. To investigate this phenomenon, we have determined molecular characteristics of 61 methicillin-resistant or -susceptible strains isolated between 2003 and 2007 in Oran Hospital. Susceptible isolates were related to diverse genetic backgrounds, of which clone with sequence type (ST) 8 accounted for most of the samples. Resistance to methicillin was almost limited to two international spreading clones; the most frequent, ST80, contained isolates producing Panton-Valentine leukocidine, with SCCmec type IV. The increase of MRSA prevalence observed in Western Algeria, in outpatients as well as in hospitalized patients, is linked to dissemination of ST80 strains usually considered as community-acquired MRSA.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Borg MA, de Kraker M, Scicluna E et al (2007) Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in invasive isolates from southern and eastern Mediterranean countries. J Antimicrob Chemother 60:1310–1315. doi:10.1093/jac/dkm365

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kesah C, Ben Redjeb S, Odugbemi TO et al (2003) Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in eight African hospitals and Malta. Clin Microbiol Infect 9:153–156. doi:10.1046/j.1469–0691.2003.00531.x

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ben Nejma M, Mastouri M, Bel Hadj Jrad B et al (2008) Characterization of ST80 Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone in Tunisia. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis (in press)

  4. Shopsin B, Gomez M, Montgomery SO et al (1999) Evaluation of protein A gene polymorphic region DNA sequencing for typing of Staphylococcus aureus strains. J Clin Microbiol 37:3556–3563

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Aires de Sousa M, Conceicao T, Simas C et al (2005) Comparison of genetic backgrounds of methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Portuguese hospitals and the community. J Clin Microbiol 43:5150–5157. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.10.5150–5157.2005

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Enright MC, Day NP, Davies CE et al (2000) Multilocus sequence typing for characterization of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible clones of Staphylococcus aureus. J Clin Microbiol 38:1008–1015

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Oliveira DC, de Lencastre H (2002) Multiplex PCR strategy for rapid identification of structural types and variants of the mec element in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 46:2155–2161. doi:10.1128/AAC.46.7.2155–2161.2002

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tristan A, Bes M, Meugnier H et al (2007) Global distribution of Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 2006. Emerg Infect Dis 13:594–600

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ramdani-Bouguessa N, Bes M, Meugnier H et al (2006) Detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains resistant to multiple antibiotics and carrying the Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes in an Algiers hospital. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 50:1083–1085. doi:10.1128/AAC.50.3.1083–1085.2006

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Faria NA, Oliveira DC, Westh H et al (2005) Epidemiology of emerging methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Denmark: a nationwide study in a country with low prevalence of MRSA infection. J Clin Microbiol 43:1836–1842. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.4.1836–1842.2005

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

Souad N. Bekkhoucha was the recipient of a grant from the Medicine School, University of Oran.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Oran, Algeria

    S. N. Bekkhoucha & F. Itim

  2. Service de Bactériologie, Virologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 35033, Rennes, France

    A. Cady, P. Gautier & P.-Y. Donnio

  3. Equipe d’accueil 1254 Microbiologie, Université de Rennes 1, 35043, Rennes, France

    S. N. Bekkhoucha & P.-Y. Donnio

Authors
  1. S. N. Bekkhoucha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Cady
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Gautier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F. Itim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P.-Y. Donnio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P.-Y. Donnio.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bekkhoucha, S.N., Cady, A., Gautier, P. et al. A portrait of Staphylococcus aureus from the other side of the Mediterranean Sea: molecular characteristics of isolates from Western Algeria. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 28, 553–555 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-008-0660-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-008-0660-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation