Korean J Clin Microbiol.  2002 Mar;5(1):21-25.

Single Clone of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1-Producing Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients

• Song WK
• Oh CH
• Kim SJ
• Lee TJ
• Park MJ
• Shin DH
• Kang SH
• Lee KM

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Six babies infected with Staphylococcus aureus occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) over a period of 2 months, which was successfully controlled with the aid of moleculartyping of the isolates.
METHODS
We examined the staphylococcal toxins, mecA and tst gene PCR, and repetitive-element PCR (rep-PCR) typing in S. aureus isolated from the clinical specimens of infected babies, nasal swabs of the patients and medical personnels in a NICU, and environmental equipments.
RESULTS
Among all S. aureus isolates tested, they were toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1)- producing methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) who have mecA and tst gene, and one identical rep- PCR pattern all, except 3 MRSA isolated from the nasal swabs of 2 non-infected patients and 1 medical personnel.
CONCLUSIONS
It was demonstrated that TSST-1 producing MRSA became epidemic in the NICU as a result of the spread of a single clone.

Keyword

Toxic shock syndrome toxin-1; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Neonatal intensive care unit; Repetitive-element PCR

MeSH Terms

Clone Cells*
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care, Neonatal*
Methicillin Resistance*
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Shock, Septic*
Staphylococcus aureus