Within-host diversity of MRSA antimicrobial resistances.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

MRSA is a major antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pathogen. The reservoir of infecting isolates is colonization, which is the site of evolutionary selection. The aim was to identify if AMRs in colonizing MRSA populations diversified and potential mechanisms of resistance gene transfer in vivo.

Methods

Nasal swabs from 38 MRSA carriers admitted to hospital were plated and 20 individual colonies from each patient tested for phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility and genetically for lineage, carriage of four prophages and three plasmid families. Free bacteriophages were detected in swabs as well as their capacity for transducing resistance genes.

Results

Nine (24%) patients carried phenotypic AMR variants and 24 (63%) carried prophage and plasmid variants. If a sin

SUBMITTER: Stanczak-Mrozek KI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4500776 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature