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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

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Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones with

María González-Domínguez1, Cristina Seral2, Carmen Potel3

  • 1Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, San Juan Bosco s/n, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain.

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
|May 3, 2016
PubMed

Insights

High-level mupirocin-resistant MRSA (HLMUPR-MRSA) strains, often found in skin infections and linked to diabetes, showed significant prevalence (27.2%). Clonal spread of ST125/t067 strains carrying specific resistance genes likely explains this increase.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant healthcare challenge.
  • Mupirocin is a crucial topical antibiotic for MRSA decolonization.
  • Emergence of high-level mupirocin resistance (HLMUPR) in MRSA is a growing concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of HLMUPR-MRSA in a specific environment.
  • To identify risk factors and genetic elements associated with HLMUPR-MRSA.
  • To understand the transmission dynamics of HLMUPR-MRSA.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of MRSA isolates over a one-year period.
  • Phenotypic characterization of mupirocin resistance and susceptibility to other antibiotics.
  • Molecular typing (e.g., MLST, spa typing) and detection of resistance genes (e.g., IS257-ileS2 amplification patterns, msr(A)).

Main Results:

  • A high proportion (27.2%) of MRSA isolates exhibited HLMUPR.
  • HLMUPR-MRSA were predominantly isolated from skin/soft tissue infections, particularly in vascular surgery patients with diabetes.
  • These isolates showed co-resistance to aminoglycosides and carried bifunctional/nucleotidyltransferase enzymes, often associated with the msr(A) gene.
  • The ST125/t067 lineage was predominant, with a specific IS257-ileS2 amplification pattern (p3) found in 65% of HLMUPR-MRSA, suggesting clonal spread.
  • No outbreak or increased mupirocin consumption was identified as the cause.

Conclusions:

  • HLMUPR-MRSA is prevalent in the studied environment, driven by specific resistant clones like ST125/t067.
  • The presence of mupirocin-resistance-carrying plasmids and clonal spread contribute to the high prevalence.
  • This highlights the need for surveillance and infection control strategies to manage HLMUPR-MRSA.
Keywords:
Clonal lineagesHigh-level mupirocin resistanceMRSAResistance genes

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