{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T15:33:08Z","timestamp":1788535988101,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,24]],"date-time":"2022-12-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1671840000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Purpose: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains (CA-MRSA) are spread worldwide and often cause recurring and persistent infections in humans. CA-MRSA strains frequently carry Panton\u2013Valentine leukocidin (PVL) as a distinctive virulence factor. This study investigates the molecular epidemiology, antibiotic resistance and clinical characteristics of PVL-positive MRSA strains in Northern Bavaria, Germany, isolated over an eight-year period. Methods: Strains were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and antibiotic susceptibility was tested by automated microdilution (VITEK 2) or disk diffusion. PVL-encoding genes and mecA were detected by PCR. MRSA clonal complexes (CC) and lineages were assigned by genotyping via DNA microarray and spa-typing. Results: In total, 131 PVL-positive MRSA were collected from five hospital sites between 2009 and 2016. Predominant lineages were CC8-MRSA-[IV+ACME], USA300 (27\/131; 20.6%); CC30-MRSA-IV, Southwest Pacific Clone (26\/131; 19.8%) and CC80-MRSA-IV (25\/131; 19.1%). Other CCs were detected less frequently. Resistance against erythromycin and clindamycin was prevalent, whereas all strains were sensitive towards vancomycin and linezolid. In total, 100 cases (76.3%) were causally linked to an infection. The majority (102\/131; 77.9%) of isolates were detected in skin swabs or swabs from surgical sites. Conclusions: During the sample period we found an increase in the PVL-positive MRSA lineages CC30 and CC1. Compared to less-abundant lineages CC1 or CC22, the predominant lineages CC8, CC30 and CC80 harbored a broader resistance spectrum. Furthermore, these lineages are probably associated with a travel and migration background. In the spatio-temporal setting we investigated, these were arguably drivers of diversification and change in the landscape of PVL-positive MRSA.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11010054","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,27]],"date-time":"2022-12-27T04:58:01Z","timestamp":1672117081000},"page":"54","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Characterization of PVL-Positive MRSA Isolates in Northern Bavaria, Germany over an Eight-Year Period"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Tobias","family":"Szumlanski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Hospital Hygiene, Medical Microbiology and Clinical Infectiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg General Hospital, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3580-2105","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bernd","family":"Neumann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Hospital Hygiene, Medical Microbiology and Clinical Infectiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg General Hospital, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0654-6381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ralph","family":"Bertram","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Hospital Hygiene, Medical Microbiology and Clinical Infectiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg General Hospital, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexandra","family":"Simbeck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Asklepios Hospital Barmbek, 22307 Hamburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renate","family":"Ziegler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Hospital Hygiene, Medical Microbiology and Clinical Infectiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg General Hospital, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4368-8709","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefan","family":"Monecke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany"},{"name":"InfectoGnostics Research Campus, 07743 Jena, Germany"},{"name":"Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, Dresden University Hospital, 01307 Dresden, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6612-0043","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ralf","family":"Ehricht","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany"},{"name":"InfectoGnostics Research Campus, 07743 Jena, Germany"},{"name":"Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wulf","family":"Schneider-Brachert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Prevention and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joerg","family":"Steinmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Hospital Hygiene, Medical Microbiology and Clinical Infectiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg General Hospital, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"520","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199808203390806","article-title":"Staphylococcus aureus infections","volume":"339","author":"Lowy","year":"1998","journal-title":"N. 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