Are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that produce Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) found among residents of care homes?
OBJECTIVES: Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus are responsible for causing skin and soft tissue infections, with the potential to cause severe invasive disease. Recently, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains that produce PVL have emerged in the community. As residents of care homes are a key group at risk of MRSA colonization and infection, we have examined the epidemiology of MRSA in three large cohorts of residents in urban care homes to establish whether PVL-positive MRSA strains are present in this setting. METHODS: Nasal swabs (n = 3037) collected from consenting residents of 69 care homes in Leeds, UK, were screened for MRSA using chromogenic agar over three periods (June-August 2005, November-December 2006 and October-November 2007). PCR amplification was used to detect genes encoding PVL. Antibiogram profile and PFGE were also used to characterize MRSA isolates (n = 601). RESULTS: MRSA prevalence was 21%, 20% and 19% in each c
Related Questions
- Are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that produce Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) found among residents of care homes?
- Are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that produce Panton–Valentine leucocidin (PVL) found among residents of care homes?
- Is Panton-Valentine leucocidin associated with the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in the UK?