Epidemic community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: recent clonal expansion and diversification.

ABSTRACT: Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, especially those caused by drug-resistant bacteria, are a major problem worldwide. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) appeared rapidly and unexpectedly in the United States, resulting in an epidemic caused primarily by isolates classified as USA300. The evolutionary and molecular underpinnings of this epidemic are poorly understood. Specifically, it is unclear whether there has been clonal emergence of USA300 isolates or evolutionary convergence toward a hypervirulent phenotype resulting in the independent appearance of similar organisms. To definitively resolve this issue and understand the phylogeny of USA300 isolates, we used comparative whole-genome sequencing to analyze 10 USA300 patient isolates fro

SUBMITTER: Kennedy AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2234137 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature