Frequent emergence and limited geographic dispersal of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: A small number of clonal lineages dominates the global population structure of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), resulting in the concept that MRSA has emerged on a few occasions after penicillinase-stable beta-lactam antibiotics were introduced to clinical practice, followed by intercontinental spread of individual clones. We investigated the evolutionary history of an MRSA clone (ST5) by mutation discovery at 108 loci (46 kb) within a global collection of 135 isolates. The SNPs that were ascertained define a radial phylogenetic structure within ST5 consisting of at least 5 chains of mutational steps that define geographically associated clades. These clades are not concordant with previously described groupings based on staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) typing. By map

SUBMITTER: Nubel U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2544590 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature