Panton-Valentine leukocidin positive MRSA in 2003: the Dutch situation

• Published in: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles Vol. 9; no. 11; pp. 28 - 4
• Main Authors: Wannet, W J B, Heck, M E O C, Pluister, G N, Spalburg, E, van Santen, M G, Huijsdans, X W, Tiemersma, E, de Neeling, A J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden 01.11.2004
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bacterial Toxins; Child; Child, Preschool; Community-Acquired Infections - epidemiology; Community-Acquired Infections - microbiology; Exotoxins; Female; Genotype; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Leukocidins; Male; Methicillin Resistance; Middle Aged; Netherlands - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1560-7917; 1560-7917
• DOI: 10.2807/esm.09.11.00484-en

Analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in the Netherlands in 2003 revealed that 8% of the hospital isolates carried the loci for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). Molecular subtyping showed that most Dutch PVL-MRSA genotypes corresponded to well-documented global epidemic types. The most common PVL-MRSA genotypes were sequence type ST8, ST22, ST30, ST59 and ST80. MRSA with ST8 increased in the Netherlands from 1% in 2002 to 17% in 2003. It is emphasised that PVL-MRSA might not only emerge in the community, but also in the hospital environment.