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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
Published on: February 9, 2011
Molecular Characteristics of Methicillin-Resistant and Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus from Pediatric Patients in
Yuxuan Zhou1, Shuyang Yu1, Chenjun Su1
1Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
Abstract:
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that causes invasive infections in humans. In recent years, increasing studies have focused on the prevalence of S. aureus infections in adults; however, the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of S. aureus from Chinese pediatric patients remain unknown. The present study examined the population structure, antimicrobial resistance, and virulent factors of methicillin-resistant and -susceptible S. aureus isolated from Chinese pediatric patients from one medical center in eastern China. A total of 81 cases were screened with positive S. aureus infections among 864 pediatric patients between 2016 and 2022 in eastern China. Molecular analysis showed that ST22 (28.4%) and ST59 (13.6%) were the most typical strains, and associations between different clonal complex (CC) types/serotype types (ST) and the age of pediatric patients were observed in this study. CC398 was the predominant type in neonates under 1 month of age, while CC22 was mainly found in term-infant (under 1 year of age) and toddlers (over 1 year of age). Additionally, 17 S. aureus isolates were resistant to at least three antimicrobials and majority of them belonged to CC59. The blaZ gene was found in 59 isolates and mecA gene was present in 26 strains identified as methicillin-resistant. Numerous virulent factors were detected in S. aureus isolated from present pediatric patients. Remarkably, lukF-PV and lukS-PV were dominantly carried by CC22, tsst-1 genes were detected in CC188, CC7, and CC15, while exfoliative toxin genes were found only in CC121. Only 41.98% of the S. aureus isolates possessed scn gene, indicating that the sources of infections in pediatric patients may include both human-to-human transmissions as well as environmental and nosocomial infections. Together, the present study provided a phylogenetic and genotypic comparison of S. aureus from Chinese pediatric patients in Suzhou city. Our results suggested that the colonization of multi-drug resistant isolates of S. aureus may raise concern among pediatric patients, at least from the present medical center in eastern China.
Insights
This study reveals key molecular features and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus aureus in Chinese children. Findings highlight the prevalence of specific strains like ST22 and ST59, with implications for pediatric infection control.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human pathogen, with increasing adult infection studies.
- The epidemiology and molecular characteristics of S. aureus in Chinese pediatric patients are largely unknown.
- This study addresses the gap by analyzing S. aureus from a Chinese pediatric cohort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the population structure, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence factors of S. aureus in pediatric patients in eastern China.
- To identify prevalent S. aureus strains and their association with patient age.
- To characterize methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 81 S. aureus isolates from 864 pediatric patients (2016-2022).
- Molecular typing using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to determine clonal complexes (CCs) and sequence types (STs).
- Antimicrobial resistance profiling and detection of virulence factor genes (e.g., mecA, blaZ, lukF-PV, tsst-1, exfoliative toxin genes).
Main Results:
- ST22 (28.4%) and ST59 (13.6%) were the most common strains.
- CC398 predominated in neonates, while CC22 was prevalent in infants and toddlers.
- 17 isolates showed multi-drug resistance, primarily within CC59. mecA was present in 26 methicillin-resistant strains. Specific virulence genes were associated with distinct CC types.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a comprehensive phylogenetic and genotypic profile of S. aureus in Chinese pediatric patients.
- Prevalence of multi-drug resistant S. aureus strains in this pediatric population warrants attention for infection control.
- Findings suggest a mix of transmission routes, including human-to-human, environmental, and nosocomial sources.
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