A change in Belgian epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus phage types in 2000: phenotypic and genotypic characterization of isolates from a general hospital

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 307 - 311
• Main Authors: Wildemauwe, C., Godard, C., De Beenhouwer, H., Boel, A., Damée, S., Van Bossuyt, E., Vanhoof, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kent Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacteriophage Typing; Belgium - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Clusters; Coagulase - analysis; Cross Infection - drug therapy; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific - metabolism; DNA Fingerprinting; DNA, Bacterial - metabolism; Enzymes - genetics; Female; Genotype; Hospitals, General - statistics & numerical data; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Methicillin Resistance; Middle Aged; Molecular Epidemiology; MRSA; Oxacillin - pharmacology; Penicillin-Binding Proteins; PFGE; Phage types; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Staphylococcus Phages; Belgium; Europe; Phage types; Clusters; PFGE; MRSA; Meticillin; Penicillin derivatives; Characterization; Pulsed field electrophoresis; Oxacillin; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Micrococcaceae; Hospital; Staphylococcus aureus; Epidemic; β-Lactams; Genotype; Infection; Virus; Polymerase chain reaction; Antibiotic; Phenotype; Bacteriosis; Molecular biology; Antibacterial agent; Staphylococcal infection; Phage
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2005.01.009

During 2000, new methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) epidemic phage types became preponderant in Belgium. In the present study, phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of 130 MRSA isolates from a general Belgian hospital were investigated. The MRSA nature of the isolates was confirmed by coagulase test, oxacillin screen plate test and detection of the mecA gene by polymerase chain reaction. Phage typing categorized the MRSA strains into two main groups: the [O]* types and the [J]* types. SmaI macrorestriction analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis gave the same pulsotype in the majority of strains. All strains of the [O]* and [J]* groups, except one, belonged to this pulsotype. Aminoglycoside-modifying-enzyme genes could only be detected in a minority of strains. Although the epidemic phage types of the mid-1990s appear to have been supplanted by the [O]* and [J]* groups, the MRSA population examined showed a remarkably uniform profile corresponding to the previous major clone B.