Antibacterial resistance, genes encoding toxins and genetic background among Staphylococcus aureus isolated from community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections in France: a national prospective survey

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012 Jun;31(6):1279-84. doi: 10.1007/s10096-011-1441-5. Epub 2011 Oct 14.

Abstract

The epidemiology of staphylococcal community-acquired skin and soft tissues infections (CA-SSTIs) has changed dramatically. We described prospectively the characteristics of the Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 71 non-teaching French hospitals and implicated in CA-SSTIs: antimicrobial susceptibility (mecA polymerase chain reaction [PCR], disk diffusion method), virulence factor gene (sea, tst, pvl) prevalence and genetic background (agr allele). During November 2006, 235 strains were collected (wound infection: 51%, abscess: 21%, whitlow: 8%, diabetic foot: 7%, furunculosis: 3%). sea, tst and pvl were identified in 22.1, 13.2 and 8.9% strains, respectively. agr allele 1 was the most frequently encountered genetic background, whatever the methicillin susceptibility. Among the 34 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA, 14.5% of all S. aureus), only one strain (2.9%) harboured pvl (belonging to the European ST80 clone), four (11.8%) tst (belonging to two endemic French clones) and 18 (52.9%) sea gene (mainly the Lyon clone). According to their in vitro activity, pristinamycin or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole could be considered as first-choice antibiotics. To date, the international pvl-positive MRSA clones have not spread in France. MRSA strains isolated from putative CA-SSTIs exhibited a genetic and phenotypic background of hospital-acquired (HA) clones. National survey should be continued, in order to monitor the emergence of virulent clones.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology*
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Female
  • France
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / microbiology*
  • Soft Tissue Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / classification
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Virulence Factors