National survey of molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in Belgian cystic fibrosis patients

Objectives: Epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is poorly defined in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, and S. aureus detection may be hampered by the presence of small colony variants (SCVs). We conducted a multicentre survey to determine the prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA colonization in Belgian CF patients and characterize the phenotype and clonal distribution of their staphylococcal strains. Methods: S. aureus isolated from CF patients attending nine CF centres were collected. Oxacillin resistance was detected by oxacillin agar screen and mecA PCR. Antibiotic s... Mehr ...