Methicillin-susceptible, doxycycline-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Côte d'Ivoire

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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

Olivier Lesens1, Rachel Haus-Cheymol, Philippe Dubrous

  • 1Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Clermont-Ferrand, France. olesens@chu-clermontferrand.fr

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|June 8, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Two outbreaks of Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus occurred in French soldiers in Côte d'Ivoire. Doxycycline malaria prophylaxis was linked to nasal carriage of this resistant strain.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains are associated with severe skin and soft tissue infections.
  • Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus is a growing global health concern.
  • Deploying military personnel to regions with endemic infectious diseases presents unique public health challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report and characterize outbreaks of PVL-positive, doxycycline-resistant, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections in French soldiers.
  • To investigate the prevalence of nasal carriage of this specific S. aureus strain among soldiers.
  • To identify potential risk factors associated with carriage, particularly prior malaria prophylaxis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of two documented outbreaks of S. aureus infections.
  • Cross-sectional survey conducted among soldiers prior to deployment to Côte d'Ivoire.
  • Nasal swabs collected for bacterial culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing, including doxycycline resistance.
  • Statistical analysis to identify associations between nasal carriage and potential risk factors like malaria prophylaxis.

Main Results:

  • Two distinct outbreaks of PVL-positive, doxycycline-resistant MSSA infections were identified in French soldiers.
  • A prevalence of 2.9% nasal carriage of this specific S. aureus strain was found in 273 surveyed soldiers.
  • Prior malaria prophylaxis with doxycycline was significantly associated with the nasal carriage of the identified S. aureus strain.

Conclusions:

  • PVL-positive, doxycycline-resistant MSSA strains pose a risk to military personnel deployed to endemic areas.
  • Doxycycline prophylaxis for malaria may be associated with the selection and carriage of resistant S. aureus strains.
  • Enhanced surveillance and targeted interventions are necessary to prevent S. aureus infections in deployed military populations.

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