High prevalence of ST121 in community-associated methicillin-susceptible lineages responsible for skin and soft tissue infections in Portuguese children

T. Conceição (1) , M. Aires-De-Sousa (1, 2) , N. Pona (3) , M. J. Brito (3) , C. Barradas (3) , Rui Coelho (3) , T. Sardinha (4) , L. Sancho (3) , G. Sousa (3) , M. Céu Machado (3) , H. Lencastre (1, 5)

1 Laboratory of Molecular Genetics
2 Escola Superior de Saúde da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa
3 Department of Paediatrics
4 Laboratory of Microbiology
5 Laboratory of Microbiology

In order to evaluate the incidence of community-associated methicillin-resistant (CA-MRSA) in Portugal, we analyzed a collection of 38 isolates recovered from 30 children attending the pediatric emergency department of a central hospital in Lisbon due to skin and soft tissue infections. Molecular characterization identified seven clonal lineages among the 35 methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) isolates, of which the major lineage PFGE A/t159/ST121 included 63% of the isolates. The three MRSA isolates belonged to the Pediatric clone PFGE D/t535/ST5-IV ( = 2) and to the European CA-MRSA clone PFGE G/t044/ST80-IVc ( = 1). All isolates harbored several virulence factors, namely, leukocidins. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) was produced by isolates from five MSSA lineages and by the ST80 MRSA. Of interest, this is the first reported isolation of CA-MRSA ST80 in Portugal.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

T. Conceição, M. Aires-De-Sousa, N. Pona, M. J. Brito, C. Barradas, et al.. High prevalence of ST121 in community-associated methicillin-susceptible lineages responsible for skin and soft tissue infections in Portuguese children. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2010, 30 (2), pp.293-297. ⟨10.1007/s10096-010-1087-8⟩. ⟨hal-00637791⟩