Molecular characteristics of the Taiwanese multiple drug-resistant ST59 clone of Panton-Valentine leucocidin-positive community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from pediatric cellulitis

• Published in: Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 144 - 149
• Main Authors: Higuchi, Wataru, Takano, Tomomi, Iwao, Yasuhisa, Ozaki, Kyoko, Isobe, Hirokazu, Yamamoto, Tatsuo, Hung, Wei-Chun, Teng, Lee-Jene, Shimazaki, Tetsuya, Honda, Akihito, Higashide, Masato, Hanaki, Hideaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Japan 01.04.2010
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Toxins - biosynthesis; Cellulitis - microbiology; Child; Community-Acquired Infections - microbiology; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Enterotoxins - genetics; Exotoxins - biosynthesis; Genes, Bacterial; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Leukocidins - biosynthesis; Male; Medical Microbiology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - metabolism; Phylogeny; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Taiwan; Trans-Activators - genetics; Virology; Taiwan; Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL); Cellulitis; Child; Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA); CA-MRSA; Community-acquired methicillin-resistant
• ISSN: 1341-321X; 1437-7780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10156-010-0029-9

Abstract Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), which often produces Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL), has emerged worldwide as a life-threatening pathogen. Herein, we describe molecular characteristics of MRSA isolated from abdominal cellulitis in a 7-year-old Japanese boy. This MRSA was PVL-positive and belonged to the Taiwanese multiple drug-resistant CA-MRSA clone with the genotype of ST59, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCC mec ) VII (SCC mec V, according to recent reclassification), agr 1a (a novel agr 1 subtype), and SaPI (which carried seb1 , a newly designated variant seb gene). This study demonstrates the first isolation of the Taiwanese PVL-positive ST59 MRSA clone in Japan. The data also demonstrate novel subtypes in agr 1 and seb and suggest that a combination of agr 1a, seb1 , and PVL could contribute to cellulitis (and its recurrence). Recently, a variety of PVL-positive MRSA clones are accumulating in Japan.