IntroductionAmong staphylococcal species, Staphylococcus aureus has been shown as a clinically relevant human pathogen, and in many individuals it may lead to asymptomatic colonization (1). Various infections from skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) to life-threatening infections like endovascular infections, pneumonia, septic arthritis, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and sepsis are caused by this bacterium (2). Carriage of S. aureus is a risk factor for subsequent infection in various settings. Recent investigations suggest that nares-only screening may underestimate the prevalence of S. aureus colonization, and accurate determination requires sampling from other body sites (3). The spread of antibiotic resistance among strains of S. aureus has been dramatically elevated, such that methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is recognized as a nosocomial pathogen worldwide. MRSA strains were once exclusively limited to hospital care; however, after outbreaks of infection in hospitals and health care facilities they have increasingly been detected among patients in the community who lack conventional risk factors for MRSA infection (4). MRSA represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in both hospital and community settings, which raises serious concerns in the treatment of staphylococcal infections; hence, the accurate and early determination of methicillin resistance is a necessity for the prognosis of S. aureus infections (5). Most MRSA and some methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates produce Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), a pore-forming toxin consisting of two subunits S (LukE) and F (LukD) (6,7). It has become increasingly important as a virulence factor in necrotizing SSTIs such as furuncle and pneumonia (6). Both MSSA and community-associated MRSA can express PVL (8). Contrary to European countries (9), PVL-associated infections are increasing in some regions of Iran (10). This study aimed to assess the microbiological, epidemiological, and clinical features of purulent skin infections caused by S. aureus in Shiraz, southern Iran.Background/aim: Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are increasing in some regions of Iran. The aim of the current study was to assess the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of S. aureus isolated from patients with skin infections in Shiraz, Iran.Materials and methods: Swab samples were obtained from patients admitted to the skin and burn units of hospitals. The medical records of each patient were collected via questionnaire. All staphylococcal isolates were collected and examined by conventional methods for detecting S. aureus strains. PCR was used to detect S. aureus harboring the mecA and pvl genes.Results: Out of 243 staphylococcal isolates, 55 (22.6%) S. aureus and 91 (37.4%) S. epidermidis were detected. Of the 45 patients, 21 (46.7%) were S. aureus carriers. The mecA gene was identified in 60% of S. aureus isolates, and the rest were sensitive to methicillin. Of the S. aur...

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