Skin Infections Caused by Panton-Valentine Leukocidin and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in Child,...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Recurrent skin infections in children can be challenging to manage.
• Certain Staphylococcus aureus strains produce virulence factors like Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and exfoliative toxins.
• Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) can still cause significant infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a pediatric case of recurrent skin infections.
• To characterize the causative Staphylococcus aureus strain.
• To investigate potential transmission routes and treatment challenges.

Main Methods:

• Clinical case description of a pediatric patient with recurrent skin infections.
• Bacterial strain identification and characterization, including toxin profiling (Panton-Valentine leukocidin, exfoliative toxin E).
• Epidemiological investigation of family members to assess for strain carriage and transmission.

Main Results:

• The patient's infections were caused by a methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) clone belonging to clonal complex 188.
• The identified MSSA strain was positive for both Panton-Valentine leukocidin and exfoliative toxin E.
• Infection with the same strain was confirmed in most of the patient's family members, suggesting intrafamilial transmission.

Conclusions:

• A specific MSSA clone (CC188) producing PVL and exfoliative toxin E can cause recurrent skin infections in pediatric patients.
• Intrafamilial transmission is a significant factor in the persistence of such infections.
• Standard decolonization procedures were ineffective in eradicating the bacteria in this case, highlighting the need for alternative strategies.