Comparison of genotypes of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus in Finland

: Ibrahem S, Salmenlinna S, Kerttula AM, Virolainen-Julkunen A, Kuusela P, Vuopio-Varkila J

: 2005

: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology

: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis

: 24

: 5

: 325

: 8

: 4

: 0934-9723

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-1328-4

The frequency of horizontal transfer of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus is unknown. In order to gain more information regarding this frequency in Finland, the genotypes of 299 clinical methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus isolates were compared to representatives of 24 epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus genotypes. Sixty-eight percent of the methicillin-sensitive isolates had a genotype similar to eight of the epidemic methicillin-resistant strains. The remaining isolates (32%) showed 22 different genotypes. The results indicate that, in Finland, several methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus genotypes may have acquired the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec.