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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2001, p. 2243-2247, Vol. 39, No. 6
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.6.2243-2247.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Recognition of Two Groups of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Based on Epidemiology, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Hypervariable-Region Type, and Ribotype in Finland

Saara Salmenlinna^* and Jaana Vuopio-Varkila

Department of Bacteriology, National Public Health Institute, 00300 Helsinki, Finland

Received 16 January 2001/Returned for modification 17 February 2001/Accepted 17 March 2001

Epidemiological evidence suggests that some methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains are more prone to dissemination than others. We studied 72 MRSA strains, collected through nationwide MRSA surveillance in 1992 through 1999 and known to be either (i) sporadic, (ii) local outbreak strains spread within one hospital, or (iii) epidemic strains spread among hospitals, by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, hybridization of the mec hypervariable region (HVR), and ribotyping. Our results show that two main groups can be identified among these strains. The first group includes mainly nonepidemic, nonmultiresistant MRSA strains showing a specific mec HVR hybridization pattern, A, in combination with a variety of ribotypes. The other group includes multiresistant strains with mec HVR hybridization pattern B or C in association with closely related ribotype a or b. Sixty-four percent (9 of 14) of Finnish epidemic MRSA strains belong to the latter group. These findings support the existence of differences in epidemic potential among MRSA strains.

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^* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Public Health Institute, Department of Bacteriology, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-4744 8558. Fax: 358-9-4744 8238. E-mail: Saara.Salmenlinna{at}ktl.fi.

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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2001, p. 2243-2247, Vol. 39, No. 6
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.6.2243-2247.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

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