Regular Article
Clonal spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a large geographic area of the United States

https://doi.org/10.1053/jhin.2002.1328Get rights and content

Abstract

Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus has rapidly increased over the last two decades. This increase is paralleled by the emergence of unique multi-resistant MRSA clones. In Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and Czech Republic a specific MRSA clone is widely spread, the so-called Brazilian epidemic clone. Another epidemic clone, the Iberian clone, is disseminated in Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Scotland, Italy, Germany and New York. Thus, a large number of hospital-acquired infections have been caused by specific MRSA clones.

Using different molecular techniques for MRSA typing, we verified that two unique epidemic clones are spread over large geographic area in the US. In addition, we showed that a previously described MRSA clone type, the New York clone (I::A:A), is widely spread beyond the New York frontiers.

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    Author for correspondence: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Bactérias, CCS, Bloco 1, 2º andar, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil. Tel.: 55-21-22604193; Fax: 55-21-25608028; E-mail:[email protected]

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