Molecular epidemiology and household transmission of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hong Kong

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2007 Feb;57(2):145-51. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2006.08.003. Epub 2006 Sep 20.

Abstract

This study evaluated the clinical and epidemiologic features of individuals with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in Hong Kong from January 2004 through December 2005. Twenty-four episodes of skin and soft tissue infections and 1 episode of meningitis due to CA-MRSA were identified. CA-MRSA infections or carriage was found in 6 (13%) of 46 household contacts. A total of 29 isolates were analyzed by the Staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing. In addition, polymerase chain reaction detection of the genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin was also carried out. It was observed that 24 had SCCmec IV/IVA and 5 had SCCmec V, and 23 were pvl positive. PFGE analysis clustered all except 1 isolate into 3 pulsed-field types (PFTs), HKU100 through HKU300. The HKU100 isolates had genotype ST30-IV identical to the Southwest Pacific clone. The HKU200 isolates belonged to ST59-V and were multiresistant, including an ermB-mediated macrolide resistance trait, which is characteristic of the predominant CA-MRSA clone in Taiwan. The HKU300 isolates had unique features (ST8, Panton-Valentine leukocidin negative, and SCCmec IVA) typical of CA-MRSA in Japan. In conclusion, CA-MRSA has a propensity to spread within families. Our findings showed that CA-MRSA strains in Hong Kong have diverse genetic backgrounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / transmission
  • Contact Tracing
  • Family Characteristics*
  • Female
  • Hong Kong / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / epidemiology
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / transmission
  • Methicillin Resistance*
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Epidemiology*
  • Soft Tissue Infections / epidemiology
  • Soft Tissue Infections / microbiology
  • Soft Tissue Infections / transmission
  • Staphylococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Infections / transmission
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / epidemiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / transmission
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*