Outbreak of skin infections in college football team members due to an unusual strain of community-acquired methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus

J Clin Microbiol. 2010 Feb;48(2):609-11. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02297-09. Epub 2009 Dec 9.

Abstract

We report a skin and soft-tissue infection outbreak among football team members due to a USA300 methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain with genes coding for Panton-Valentine leukocidin and the arginine catabolic mobile element. We postulate that the strain is a community-associated USA300 MRSA strain that lost methicillin resistance but retained important virulence factors.

MeSH terms

  • Athletes*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • DNA Fingerprinting
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Exotoxins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Interspersed Repetitive Sequences
  • Leukocidins / genetics
  • Male
  • Methicillin Resistance
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / classification
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / epidemiology*
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / microbiology
  • Students*
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Exotoxins
  • Leukocidins
  • Panton-Valentine leukocidin
  • Virulence Factors