Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 239-III, Ohio, USA, 2007-2009

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 18; no. 10; pp. 1557 - 1565
• Main Authors: Wang, Shu-Hua, Khan, Yosef, Hines, Lisa, Mediavilla, José R, Zhang, Liangfen, Chen, Liang, Hoet, Armando, Bannerman, Tammy, Pancholi, Preeti, Robinson, D Ashley, Kreiswirth, Barry N, Stevenson, Kurt B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 01.10.2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; bacteria; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Catheterization - adverse effects; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Female; Genotype; Humans; Male; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - classification; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Molecular Typing; MRSA; MRSA ST239-III; Ohio - epidemiology; Renal Dialysis - adverse effects; Respiration, Artificial - adverse effects; sequence type; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Young Adult; Ohio
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1810.120468

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a human pathogen that has diverse molecular heterogeneity. Most MRSA strains in the United States are pulsed-field gel electrophoresis USA100 sequence type (ST) 5 and USA300 ST8. Infections with MRSA ST239-III are common and found during health care-associated outbreaks. However, this strain has been rarely reported in the United States. As part of a study supported by the Prevention Epicenter Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA, USA), which evaluated transmission of MRSA among hospitals in Ohio, molecular typing identified 78 (6%) of 1,286 patients with MRSA ST239-III infections. Ninety-five percent (74/78) of these infections were health care associated, and 65% (51/78) of patients had histories of invasive device use. The crude case-fatality rate was 22% (17/78). Identification of these strains, which belong to a virulent clonal group, emphasizes the need for molecular surveillance.