Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene carriage among Staphylococcus aureus strains with SCCmec types I, III, IV, and V recovered from cystic fibrosis pediatric patients in Brazil.

The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasing in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). We report a molecular characterization, antimicrobial resistance, and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin gene detection of MRSA strains from 28 Brazilian pediatric CF patients (1 strain per patient). A significant proportion (50%) of MRSA SCCmec IV isolates was observed.