Molecular Characterization of Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Infection in Central New York Children: Importance of Two Clonal Groups and Inconsistent Presence of Selected Virulence Determinants

Background The genetic makeup of circulating Staphylococcus aureus (SA) populations varies by region. The extent to which SA virulence determinants contribute to the severity of pediatric infections is poorly understood. The study objective was to describe the genetic population of invasive SA (ISA) isolates from children in the Central New York (CNY) area and the prevalence of selected virulence genes. Methods Clinical and demographic information for hospitalized children