MRSA in children presenting to hospitals in Birmingham, UK

Summary Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from children presenting to Birmingham hospitals were characterized using molecular methods. The study was performed on MRSA isolates from children aged ≤16 years, identified between March 2004 and December 2004, from three hospitals offering general paediatric services. Fifty isolates were classified as either community-acquired (CA-MRSA) or hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. They underwent susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analyses. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology was used to determine the type of staphylococcal chromosome cassette (SCC mec ) and the presence or absence of genes encoding Panton–Valentine leucocidin (PVL). Overall, 31 (62%) MRSA were defined as CA-MRSA. PFGE band pattern and SCC mec analysis were similar to EMRSA 15 for 72% of isolates. Over 80% of isolates contained SCC mec type IV; one isolate was untypable. Genes encoding PVL were not detected. MRSA in children presenting to Birmingham hospitals classified as CA-MRSA are most likely to resemble the usual hospital epidemic strains. None of the isolates fulfilled the criteria for de-novo CA-MRSA based on PFGE, PVL production and SCC mec analysis.