Detection of qacA/B in clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from a regional healthcare network in the eastern United States

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2011 Nov;32(11):1116-9. doi: 10.1086/662380. Epub 2011 Sep 20.

Abstract

We describe the clinical, microbiologic, and molecular features of the first series of qacA/B-containing strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from infected US patients. All qac-carrying strains were clonally diverse, and qacA strains exhibited increased tolerance to chlorhexidine as measured by minimum inhibitory concentrations, minimum bactericidal concentrations, and postexposure colony counts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Chlorhexidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Chlorhexidine / pharmacology
  • District of Columbia / epidemiology
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Community
  • Hospitals, Teaching
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Maryland / epidemiology
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Penicillin-Binding Proteins
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Staphylococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Virginia / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • FemA protein, Bacteria
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Penicillin-Binding Proteins
  • QacB protein, Staphylococcus aureus
  • mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus
  • qacA protein, Staphylococcus aureus
  • chlorhexidine gluconate
  • Chlorhexidine