High prevalence of community and hospital acquired infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus containing Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene in Algiers.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of community acquired and hospital methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections and the Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Patients and methods: Seven hundred S. aureus strains were collected during 21 months period in Mustapha Bacha hospital. Bacterial identification was based on standard methods and susceptibilities were tested by disk diffusion method. Molecular study (toxins, mecA gene and agr alleles) were determined for 221 S. aureus isolates by multiplex PCR. Results: The global MRSA prevalence was 42 %, 35 % in the community and 49 % in hospital setting. The frequency of strains containing PVL genes (PVL+) was 36 %, their molecular profile was: agr3, mecA+, etd, edin, which correspond to the C-MRSA major ST80 clone in Europe and the Maghreb. The H-MRSA-PVL+ were multidrug resistant. Among the MSSA, 13 strains contained the tst gene and five contained the exfoliatine genes ETA and ETB. Conclusion: Our results show a high rate of MRSA-PVL+ in the community and the hospital setting. The H-MRSA-PVL+ were multidrug resistant complicating their antibiotic treatment options. © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS.