Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 12 New York Hospitals

Abstract

Consecutive single-patient methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates (270) from 12 hospitals (8217 beds) in metropolitan New York City were collected during May 1996. In 11 of 12 hospitals, MRSA was most frequent in the general medical services. DNA typing ("fingerprinting") revealed that mecA:Tn554:PFGE (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) type I:A:A accounted for 113 (42%) of 270 isolates, was detected in all hospitals, and was the predominant clone in 9. Thirteen of 15 I:E:F isolates were from 1 hospital, and the remaining 2 were from another hospital of the same health system. Type V:NH:E was isolated from 22 (79%) of the 28 patients with AIDS, including 8 of 9 patients from an additional hospital. Subtype V:NH:E2 was recovered from 11 patients, 9 of whom had AIDS, including all 5 AIDS patients from one floor of a nursing home affiliated with a third hospital. By using both mecA:Tn554 probes and PFGE, MRSA clusters and outbreaks may be detected and provide a rationale for appropriate infection control intervention.

The evolution of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus : Similarity of genetic backgrounds in historically early methicillin-susceptible and -resistant isolates and contemporary epidemic clones

“…The most important one of these is the Iberian clone, which shares similar PFGE type, spaA type, and MLST pattern with the majority of early MSSA and MRSA and also carries a mec element similar in genetic structure to that of the mec element (type I SCCmec) identified in early MRSA by Hiramatsu and colleagues (30); the only difference being the insertion of linearized plasmid pUB110 in the case of the Iberian clone downstream of mecA (31). Two of the early MSSA strains, E2104 and 3001, exhibiting resistance only to P, showed a PFGE pattern and spaA and MLS types that were very similar to the properties of two internationally spread MRSA: the Pediatric clone, which most often shows resistance only to ␤-lactam antibiotics (23), and another contemporary multiresistant MRSA widely spread in the northeastern part of the United States, the New York clone (25)(26). Bacteria belonging to the New York clone carry a mec element that seems to correspond to what Hiramatsu and colleagues (30) A single isolate, strain E1410, among the 25 early MSSA, was nontypable by the phages used and was resistant to P-S, possessed a unique PFGE type g, and also showed spaA and MLS type, which was different from that shown in the rest of the 24 MSSA tested.…”

Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Finland

“…In Germany, six different epidemic strains have gradually disseminated throughout the country (306). The Iberian and Pediatric clones, originally identified in Spain and Portugal, respectively, have subsequently been identified in several countries in Europe, Latin America, and in the USA (58,93,165,229). The New York strain has spread widely in the USA and a similar strain also exists in Japan (7).…”

Culturable airborne bacteria and isolation of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from outdoor environments on European side of Istanbul, Turkey

“…The most recent example is methicillin resistance (Shiomori et al 2002). While studies of methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) are frequently conducted in hospital settings (Roberts et al 1998, Simor et al 2002, Skoog 2006, Bagcigil et al 2012), air quality studies covering both indoor and outdoor air quality are quite new as a topic. In Turkey, while there are studies that focus on bacterial contamination in institutions that provide health care services, such as hospitals, clinics, and private practices (Sarica et al 2002, Aydogdu et al 2005, Aydogdu and Asan 2008, Aydogdu et al 2010, Bagcigil et al 2012, there is a lack of studies that are based on long-term observations as well as studies that examine outdoor facilities used on a daily basis (Mentese et al 2009, Mentese et al 2012.…”