Keratitis in Taiwan: Genotyping, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Clinical Features.

is an important pathogen for keratitis, a vision-threatening disease. We aimed to investigate the genotyping, antibiotic susceptibility, and clinical features of keratitis, and to explore the possible role of Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL), a major virulence factor of We recruited 49 patients with culture-proven keratitis between 2013 and 2017 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. PVL gene, multilocus sequence type (MLST), staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCC), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed. Antibiotic susceptibility was verified using disk diffusion/E test. There were 49 patients with keratitis; 17 (34.7%) were caused by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and 9 (18.4%) isolates had PVL genes. The predominant genotyping of MRSA isolates was CC59/PFGE type D/SCC V/PVL (+). All methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and approximately 60% MRSA were susceptible to fluoroquinolones. No significant differences in clinical features, treatments, and visual outcomes were observed between MRSA/MSSA or PVL(+)/PVL(-) groups. In Taiwan, approximately one third of keratitis was caused by MRSA, mainly community-associated MRSA. Although MRSA isolates were more resistant than MSSA, clinical characteristics were similar between two groups. Fluoroquinolones could be good empiric antibiotics for keratitis.