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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
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Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria

Published on: May 8, 2013

Microarray-based characterisation of a Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive community-acquired strain of

S Monecke1, P Slickers, H Hotzel

  • 1Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus at the Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany. monecke@rocketmail.com

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|July 18, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Novel methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains producing Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) were identified in Germany. These community-acquired MRSA (caMRSA) strains, belonging to clonal group ST80, are associated with severe infections and represent a widespread clone.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Emergence of novel methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains producing Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL).
  • PVL-positive MRSA strains cause severe infections like necrotising pneumonia and skin infections with high mortality.
  • Potential for epidemic spread of PVL-positive community-acquired MRSA (caMRSA) in the community.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the first identified PVL-positive caMRSA infections in eastern Saxony and southern Brandenburg, Germany.
  • To determine the genetic relatedness and antimicrobial resistance profiles of these novel MRSA strains.
  • To investigate the toxin gene content and identify the molecular epidemiology of these caMRSA isolates.

Main Methods:

  • MRSA isolates were characterized using agr typing, spa typing, and SmaI macrorestriction analysis.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for various antibiotics.
  • Plasmid analysis, partial sequencing, and microarray analysis were employed to identify toxin and resistance genes.

Main Results:

  • The caMRSA isolates belonged to agr type III, spa types 44 or 131, and clonal group ST80.
  • Isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, levofloxacin, macrolides, clindamycin, and gentamicin but resistant to tetracycline and fusidic acid.
  • A novel plasmid (pUB102) carrying resistance genes (far1, tetK, blaZ) was identified. Microarray analysis revealed genes for multiple toxins, including PVL, and staphylococcal enterotoxin-like (set) genes.

Conclusions:

  • The identified PVL-positive caMRSA isolates represent a widespread clone of ST80, associated with severe infections.
  • The presence of multiple leukocidin and enterotoxin-like genes contributes to the virulence of these strains.
  • These findings highlight the need for surveillance and understanding of caMRSA epidemiology to control potential outbreaks.

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