Major characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus colonizing Jordanian infants. Issue 3 (18th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shehabi, Asem A.; Abu‐Yousef, Rozan; Badran, Eman; Al‐Bakri, Amal G.; Abu‐Qatouseh, Luay F.; Becker, Karsten
• Is Part Of: Pediatrics international. Volume 55:Issue 3(2013)
• Page Start: 300
• Page End: 304
• Publication Date: 2013-06-18
• Subjects: Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/ped.12060
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1328-8067

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="ped12060-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Colonization of infants with methicillin‐resistant <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> (MRSA) carries specific toxin genes. In particular, Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) are a risk factor for subsequent infection during hospitalization. This prospective study investigated important epidemiological characteristics of <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> colonizing the nares and intestines of Jordanian infants.</p> </sec> <sec id="ped12060-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>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 Jordan University Hospital. All specimens were cultured to recover <italic>S. aureus</italic>, all isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and the MRSA strains for presence of specific toxin genes and SCC<italic>mec</italic> using polymerase chain reaction.</p> </sec> <sec id="ped12060-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Eighty of the 430 (18.6%) infants were colonized with <italic>S. aureus</italic>, of these, 27 (6.3%) harbored the organism in both the nose and intestine. The frequency of <italic>S. aureus</italic> 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<italic>mec</italic> type IV, except one, which was type III. All nasal and intestinal MRSA carried at least one toxin gene (<italic>tst</italic>, <italic>eta, seb</italic>), but few carried two toxin genes.</p> </sec> <sec id="ped12060-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>This study demonstrates that <italic>S. aureus</italic> strains are more frequently colonizing Jordanian 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.</p> </sec> </abstract>