Anubis2
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« on: December 04, 2007, 01:33:55 am » |
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Incidences of this relatively new strain of MRSA are known to be rising. A new pattern of disease due to Panton - Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) - positive strains of Staphylococcus aureus is emerging in the UK and world-wide. PVL is a toxin, which destroys white blood cells and is carried by <2% of clinical isolates of S. aureus. PVL can be detected in both meticillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and meticillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). To date the majority of isolates causing infection in the UK have been MSSA. Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) are more likely to produce PVL than hospital-associated MRSA. PVL-positive S. aureus are normally associated with necrotising pyogenic cutaneous infections and occasionally with cellulitis or tissue necrosis. However, they can cause other severe invasive infections such as septic arthritis, bacteraemia, purpura fulminans or community-acquired necrotising pneumonia. PVL-producing strains of MRSA have been seen in the UK before - however, the small numbers of cases reported have usually been in the community rather than a hospital setting. This outbreak is the first time transmission and deaths due to this strain are known to have occurred in a healthcare setting in England and Wales.
PVL-producing strains are more commonly contracted in the community and generally affect previously healthy young children and young adults - this contrasts with the so called 'hospital-associated MRSA' strains which do not produce PVL and are more commonly associated with causing wound infections and blood-poisoning in more elderly hospitalised patients.
Dr Angela Kearns, an MRSA expert with the Health Protection Agency, said: "When people contract PVL-producing strains of MRSA, they usually experience a skin infection such as a boil or abscess. Most infections can be treated successfully with everyday antibiotics but occasionally a more severe infection may occur."
"The Health Protection Agency is advising the hospital on outbreak control measures, and will continue to monitor MRSA infection nationally."
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