First report of a sequence type 239 vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus isolate in Mainland China

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen that causes a wide range of both hospital- and community-acquired infections. The high prevalence of MRSA and the extensive use of vancomycin in Mainland China may lead to the emergence of vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) isolates. In this case, we report a VISA isolate from a 34-year-old male patient with steam burn. The isolate was determined to be sequence type 239 staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type III, the most prevalent MRSA clone in Mainland China.