Molecular DNA Analysis of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infection in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) has become a serious problem in Japan. MRSA nosocomial transmissions occurring in an NICU during 2001 and 2002 were investigated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and PCR. MRSA from a nosocomial transmission with incidences of neonatal toxic shock syndrome-like exanthematous disease (NTED) produced type II coagulase and possessed multiple superantigenic toxin genes for toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST)-1, staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) C, SEG, and SEI. MRSA from a nosocomial transmission with incidences of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) was clonally distinct from the NTED-associated MRSA, produced type I coagulase, and possessed only the exfoliative toxin B gene (no previous superantigenic toxin genes were detected)