• Shunsuke Takadama, Hidemasa Nakaminami, Sae Aoki, Megumi Akashi, Takeaki Wajima, Masami Ikeda, Atsushi Mochida, Fumiko Shimoe, Kumiko Kimura, Yasushi Matsuzaki, Daisuke Sawamura, Yoichi Inaba, Tomohiro Oishi, Osamu Nemoto, Naoko Baba, and Norihisa Noguchi.
• Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan.
• J. Infect. Chemother. 2017 Nov 1; 23 (11): 800-803.

AbstractThe prevalence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene (pvl)-positive community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 clone, which is designated as the ST8-staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec type IV (ST8-IV) lineage, is a major public health concern worldwide. Thus, to elucidate the prevalence and characteristics of pvl-positive community-onset MRSA in Japan, we conducted a molecular epidemiological analysis for 854 S. aureus isolates obtained from outpatients with skin infections during 2013 and 2014. The isolation rate of MRSA was 25.6% (219 isolates), and the ratio of pvl-positive MRSA was 13.2% (29 isolates). Notably, the proportion (93.8%) of pvl-positive isolates was particularly high among MRSA isolates from Ishigaki island in Okinawa. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing showed that the pulsotype C isolates (11 isolates) were typical USA300 clones with arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) type I-CC8-IV lineages and prevalent on the main island of Japan (Honshu). Pulsotypes A (11 isolates) and B (four isolates) consisted of ACME-negative CC8-IV clones and were specific for Ishigaki island. Both USA300 and Okinawa-Ishigaki specific clones were associated with deep-seated skin infections, such as furuncle and cellulitis. Pulsotypes D (two isolates) and E (one isolate) were ACME-negative clonal complex (CC) 59-IV clones and were related to superficial skin infections, such as impetigo. Our findings revealed that pvl-positive MRSA associated with deep-seated skin infections are spreading in Japanese communities, particularly in Ishigaki, Okinawa.Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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