Community-associated methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus: skin and soft tissue infections in Hong Kong

This prospective study assessed the epidemiology of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) among patients with purulent skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in Hong Kong. Among 298 patients with SSTIs, 10.4% (13/125) of all S. aureus isolates and 5% (12/241) of all abscesses were attributed to pvl-positive CA-MRSA. Overall, 77% and 69.9% of CA-MRSA and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) were susceptible to erythromycin, 77% and 74.8% to clindamycin, 100% and 97.1% to minocycline, and 100% and 98.1% to rifampin, respectively. Filipino ethnicity was the only clinical and epidemiologic factor significantly associated with CA-MRSA infection (odds ratio, 14.8; 95% confidence interval, 3.3–70.0; P < 0.001). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis showed that 6 CA-MRSA isolates belonged to the ST30-HKU100 clone, 5 belonged to the ST59-HKU200 clone, and 1 was singleton. Features of HKU100 isolates include SCCmec type IV, agr3, spa t019, and pan-susceptibility to non–β-lactam antibiotics. In contrast, HKU200 isolates are characterized by having SCCmec type IV or V, agr4, spa t437, and variable non–β-lactam susceptibility profiles. The major CA-MRSA spa types were shared by a minority of the MSSA.