Epidemiological and molecular characterization of community and hospital acquired Staphylococcus aureus strains prevailing in Shenyang, Northeastern China

In order to obtain adequate information for the treatment of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, it is crucial to identify trends in epidemiological and antimicrobial resistance patterns of local S. aureus strains. Community and hospital acquired S. aureus isolates (n = 202) were characterized using staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis, spa typing and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. The prevalence of the Panton-Valentine leukocidine (pvl) and several antibiotic resistance genes a...