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

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization in Mexican children attending day care centres

Norma Velázquez-Guadarrama1, Gerardo Martinez-Aguilar, José Arellano Galindo

  • 1Laboratorio de Bacteriología, Departamento de Infectología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México DF, México.

Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique Et Experimentale
|January 31, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage was found in 0.93% of children attending day care centers in Mexico. Higher MRSA prevalence was observed in the north and south regions compared to the central region.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a significant human pathogen.
  • Day care centers (DCCs) are environments where children have close contact, potentially facilitating pathogen transmission.
  • Understanding MRSA carriage in pediatric populations is crucial for public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of MRSA carriage in children attending day care centers across Mexico.
  • To analyze the genetic relatedness of Staphylococcus aureus strains, particularly MRSA isolates.
  • To investigate geographic variations in MRSA prevalence within Mexico.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 2345 apparently healthy children aged 6 months to 6 years attending DCCs.
  • Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected and processed for bacterial isolation.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used for genetic analysis of MRSA isolates.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus was identified in 10.1% of children, with an overall MRSA carriage prevalence of 0.93%.
  • MRSA prevalence was significantly higher in day care centers located in the northern (1.75%) and southern (1.71%) regions compared to the central region (0.08%).
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed six distinct MRSA restriction profiles, with a predominant pattern observed.

Conclusions:

  • MRSA strains colonize children attending day care centers in Mexico, with a notable concentration in the northern and southern regions.
  • Two closely related MRSA clones (Clone A and B) accounted for 45% of all MRSA isolates.
  • Both SCCmec type II and type IV strains were detected across all three geographic regions studied.
Abstract

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