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Prevalence of Panton Valentine Leucocidin gene containing Staphylococcus aureus in pus samples from Paediatric
Asma Akram1, Mateen Izhar2, Asim Saifullah3
1Continental Medical College, Lahore.
Insights
Panton Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) positive Staphylococcus aureus strains are prevalent in pediatric purulent infections. This study found a high percentage of PVL-positive Staph aureus in children
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Panton Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) is a toxin produced by some Staphylococcus aureus strains.
- PVL contributes to severe purulent infections and reduced immunity.
- PVL-positive Staph aureus is a growing global health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of PVL-positive Staphylococcus aureus in pediatric purulent infections.
- To investigate the characteristics of PVL-positive Staph aureus in children aged 0-15 years.
Main Methods:
- Collection of pus samples from children aged 0-15 years over one year.
- Identification of Staphylococcus aureus in pus samples.
- Detection of the Panton Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) gene in Staph aureus isolates.
Main Results:
- 45 Staph aureus isolates were identified from pus samples.
- 60% (27/45) of Staph aureus isolates were positive for the PVL gene.
- High PVL prevalence was observed in Methicillin-Susceptible Staph aureus (MSSA), wound swabs, orthopedic isolates, indoor patients, and males.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of pediatric purulent infections in the study area are caused by PVL-positive Staph aureus.
- The high prevalence underscores the need for targeted treatment and contact management.
- Further research is needed to understand transmission dynamics and optimize control strategies.
Abstract:
Staphylococcus (Staph) aureus containing Panton Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) gene are spreading in the whole world. This gene encodes PVL toxin that has lytic effect on WBCs contributing to the low immunity of the body. It also causes pus formation in various places of the body. This study was conducted to understand the effect of PVL positive Staph aureus in causing purulent infections in children between the age of one day to 15 years. Pus samples from various sites of the body from children between the age of one day to 15 years were taken. The number of pus samples containing Staph aureus was 45. These were collected over a period of one year, from October 2, 2017 to September 30, 2018, at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. A total of 27 (60%) PVL samples were positive Staph aureus. Prevalence of PVL gene was noted to be high in MSSA 9(64%), wound swabs 18(75%), in isolates from orthopaedic department 6(75%), indoor 21(63%), and in males 18(66%). Our study showed that most of the Staph aureus samples that were obtained from pus samples from children had PVL gene in their genome. This percentage is very high. To control its spread, we need to treat not only the patients but also their close contacts. The main objective to conduct this study was to assess the prevalence of PVL positive Staph aureus strain in our local setup. Paediatric age group was selected because it is the most vulnerable group and pus samples were chosen because this strain causes recurrent purulent infections.
