Evaluation of multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis for typing livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The increasing occurrence of livestock-associated (LA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) associated with the clonal complex (CC) 398 within the past years shows the importance of standardized and comparable typing methods for the purposes of molecular surveillance and outbreak detection. Multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) has recently been described as an alternative and highly discriminative tool for S. aureus. However, until now the applicability of MLVA for the typing of LA-MRSA isolates from different geographic origin has not been investigated in detail. We therefore compared MLVA and S. aureus protein A (spa) typing for characterizing porcine MRSA from distinct Dutch and German farms.

Methodology/principal findings<

SUBMITTER: Brandt KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3549956 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature