Phylogenetic distribution and expression of a penicillin-binding protein homologue, Ear and its significance in virulence of Staphylococcus aureus.

Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause serious infections in humans. A plethora of known and putative virulence factors are produced by staphylococci that collectively orchestrate pathogenesis. Ear protein (Escherichia coli ampicillin resistance) in S.

Docking into Mycobacterium tuberculosis Thioredoxin Reductase Protein Yields Pyrazolone Lead Molecules for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase system (Trx/TrxR) is an attractive drug target because of its involvement in a number of important physiological processes, from DNA synthesis to regulating signal transduction. This study describes the finding of pyrazolone compounds that are active against . Initially, the project was focused on discovering small molecules that may have antibacterial properties targeting the thioredoxin reductase.

Clinical characteristics and epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in children with cystic fibrosis from a center with a high MRSA prevalence.

Background: We describe the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) from the U.S. CF center with the highest MRSA prevalence.

An investigation of antibiotic susceptibility to empiric therapy for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Objective: To analyze antibiotic susceptibility patterns of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates obtained from skin and soft tissue infections among Wisconsin outpatients.

Design: Retrospective genotype testing.

Setting: Isolates were forwarded to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and Marshfield Labs from clinical laboratories throughout Wisconsin.

Flap infection associated with medicinal leeches in reconstructive surgery: two new drug-resistant organisms.

The use of medicinal leeches in reconstructive surgery has proven value for the salvage of flaps with venous congestion but is associated with a risk of leech-acquired infection. The most common leech-associated organism is Aeromonas hydrophila, which antibiotic prophylaxis is typically directed against. The authors describe two new multidrug-resistant organisms acquired from medicinal leech therapy that resulted in flap infection.

Comparative whole-genome mapping to determine Staphylococcus aureus genome size, virulence motifs, and clonality.

Despite being a clonal pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus continues to acquire virulence and antibiotic-resistant genes located on mobile genetic elements such as genomic islands, prophages, pathogenicity islands, and the staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) by horizontal gene transfer from other staphylococci. The potential virulence of a S. aureus strain is often determined by comparing its pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) or multilocus sequence typing profiles to that of known epidemic or virulent clones and by PCR of the toxin genes.

Native valve endocarditis due to a novel strain of Legionella.

Legionellae are Gram-negative bacteria which are capable of causing disease, most commonly in the form of pneumonia. We describe a case of native valve endocarditis caused by a Legionella strain which by genotypic (16S rRNA and mip gene sequencing) and phenotypic analyses is unlike previously described strains of Legionella.

Evidence of multiple virulence subtypes in nosocomial and community-associated MRSA genotypes in companion animals from the upper midwestern and northeastern United States.

Objective: Not much is known about the zoonotic transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in companion animals in the United States. We report the rate of prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA recovered from clinical samples of animals requiring treatment at veterinary clinics throughout the upper midwestern and northeastern United States.

Virulence genes and genotypic associations in nasal carriage, community-associated methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant USA400 Staphylococcus aureus isolates.

It is not well understood why strains of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections, became successful so quickly, overtaking the place of methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) in many communities. To evaluate the genetic basis of differences in their virulence traits, 293 S.

Distribution of virulence factors and molecular fingerprinting of Aeromonas species isolates from water and clinical samples: suggestive evidence of water-to-human transmission.

A total of 227 isolates of Aeromonas obtained from different geographical locations in the United States and different parts of the world, including 28 reference strains, were analyzed to determine the presence of various virulence factors. These isolates were also fingerprinted using biochemical identification and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Of these 227 isolates, 199 that were collected from water and clinical samples belonged to three major groups or complexes, namely, the A.

New classes of Gram-positive selective antibacterials: inhibitors of MRSA and surrogates of the causative agents of anthrax and tuberculosis.

An antimicrobial phenolic stilbene, (E)-3-hydroxy-5-methoxystilbene, 1 was recently isolated from the leaves of Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coulter and shown to possess inhibitory activity against several Gram-positive bacteria, including isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and avirulent Bacillusanthracis (Sterne strain), among others. These results prompted the design and synthesis of two new classes of compounds, phenoxystyrenes and phenothiostyrenes, as analogs of the natural antimicrobial stilbene.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of MRSA.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a genetic typing method that is widely used as a molecular epidemiological tool for studying the genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus and numerous other bacterial pathogens. For PFGE, intact bacterial cells are embedded in soft agarose plugs followed by lysis of the cell wall in situ to minimize shearing of the chromosome. The genome, which for S.

MRSA case studies.

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen associated with diverse clinical presentations. Only recently have the genetic factors underlying the virulence of this bacterial species become understood in a significant way. Methicillin-resistant S.

Fatal brain abscess due to community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300.

We report a fatal case of brain abscess caused by infection due to a community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain (USA300) in a 37-year-old incarcerated woman with a history of furunculosis and injection drug use. Community-onset pyogenic brain abscess should be added to the growing list of life-threatening invasive infections caused by epidemic community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

Sporadic "transitional" community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from health care facilities in the United States.

We describe phenotypic and genotypic traits of a group of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones that are either remnants of unsuccessful community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) clones or represent a transitional state with some yet-to-be-acquired characteristics of CA-MRSA. These rare strains (n = 20) were identified during a 10-year period (1990-1999) from 13 unrelated health care facilities in Wisconsin. The isolates were recovered from patients in nosocomial or long-term chronic care facilities (60%) and outpatient settings (40%).

Necrotizing fasciitis due to a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus isolate harboring an enterotoxin gene cluster.

Benign papular eruption on the left leg of a 72-year-old diabetic man developed into rapidly spreading necrotizing fasciitis despite antimicrobial therapy and surgical debridements. This led to eventual amputation to control the infection. The etiological agent was a Staphylococcus aureus isolate harboring the enterotoxin gene cluster seg, sei, sem, sen, and seo but lacked all common toxin genes, including Panton-Valentine leukocidin.

Shift in Staphylococcus aureus clone linked to an infected tattoo.

A retrospective investigation of skin and soft tissue infections caused by community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains among inmates in a Wisconsin correctional facility suggested a shift in MRSA genotype. Case timeline indicated a displacement of USA400 clone by USA300 clone. The USA300 index case was associated with an infected new tattoo.

Significant pathogens isolated from surgical site infections at a community hospital in the Midwest.

Background: Studies examining the incidence of microorganisms isolated from surgical site infections (SSIs) have been conducted primarily at large academic health care centers. Results from these studies have revealed that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a significant pathogen in SSIs. Minimal data are available from smaller, community hospitals on the incidence of microorganisms associated with SSIs, particularly the incidence of MRSA in SSIs.

Clustering of multiple endemic strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a nursing home: an 8-year study.

PFGE was performed on residents' first clinical MRSA isolate (n=94) during 8 years. Sixty-one percent of the isolates were clustered in time (P < .05) and space (P < .

Emergence and spread of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in rural Wisconsin, 1989 to 1999.

We investigated the emergence and spread of community-associated strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in central and northern Wisconsin by determining the temporal and clonal relationships and geographic expansion among 581 of 956 clinical isolates of MRSA collected between 1989 and 1999. Based on EcoRI plasmid profiles (PP), two types, PP-11 and PP-13, were highly stable over time and were consistently associated with multidrug-sensitive strains recovered from outpatients treated at Native American community clinics. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) yielded six major clonal groups (MCGs) and 19 minor clonal groups.

Molecular characteristics of nosocomial and Native American community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clones from rural Wisconsin.

In central and northern Wisconsin methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was first detected in 1989. Over the next 10-year period, 581 MRSA isolates were collected, 17.2% of which came from patients who were treated at five Native American clinics.

Novel polymorphisms in mec genes and a new mec complex type in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained in rural Wisconsin.

We determined allelic polymorphisms in the mec complexes of 524 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates by partial or complete sequencing of three mec genes, mecA, mecI, and mecR1. The isolates had been collected over a 10-year period from patients living in rural Wisconsin, where the use of antibiotics was expected to be lower than in the bigger cities. Of the 18 mutation types identified, 16 had not been described previously.

The identification of genetically related bacterial isolates using pulsed field gel electrophoresis on nursing home units: a clinical experience.

Objectives: To describe a laboratory-based technique to track nursing home infections.

Design: Retrospective data analysis.

Setting: A 721-bed skilled care facility with 14 nursing units.