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Major characteristics of S taphylococcus aureus colonizing J ordanian infants
Author(s) -
Shehabi Asem A.,
AbuYousef Rozan,
Badran Eman,
AlBakri Amal G.,
AbuQatouseh Luay F.,
Becker Karsten
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.12060
Subject(s) - medicine , staphylococcus aureus , outpatient clinic , neonatal intensive care unit , microbiology and biotechnology , anterior nares , toxin , leukocidin , carriage , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , bacteria , pediatrics , pathology , biology , genetics
Background Colonization of infants with methicillin‐resistant S taphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) carries specific toxin genes. In particular, P anton– V alentine leukocidin ( PVL ) are a risk factor for subsequent infection during hospitalization. This prospective study investigated important epidemiological characteristics of S taphylococcus aureus colonizing the nares and intestines of J ordanian infants. Methods A total of 860 nasal and stool specimens were obtained from each of the 430 infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit or referred to outpatient clinics of J ordan University Hospital. All specimens were cultured to recover S . aureus , all isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and the MRSA strains for presence of specific toxin genes and SCC mec using polymerase chain reaction. Results Eighty of the 430 (18.6%) infants were colonized with S . aureus , of these, 27 (6.3%) harbored the organism in both the nose and intestine. The frequency of S . aureus nasal and intestinal carriage in outpatient infants compared to inpatients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit was significantly higher (27.3% vs 2.8%) and (17.1% vs 2.3%), respectively. MRSA accounted for 57/107 (53.3%) of all isolates, and of these 16/57 (28%) were PVL ‐positive and carried SCC mec type IV , except one, which was type III . All nasal and intestinal MRSA carried at least one toxin gene ( tst , eta, seb ), but few carried two toxin genes. Conclusion This study demonstrates that S . aureus strains are more frequently colonizing J ordanian outpatient infants than inpatients and all MRSA strains carried 1–3 clinically important staphylococcal toxin genes. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of these toxins in hospitalized infants.