INTRODUCTION Certain Staphylococcus aureus strains produce Panton-Valentine leukocidin, a toxin that lyses white blood cells causing extensive tissue necrosis and chronic, recurrent or severe infection. This report documents a confirmed case of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus strain harboring Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes from Trinidad and Tobago. To the best of our knowledge, t...

Cases of skin infections caused by Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), particularly USA300 clone, have been increasing in Japan. We report that clinical findings 5 patients with PVL-positive MRSA and compared to those four PVL-negative MRSA. Severities were significantly higher than Average durations antimicrobial therapy for 3.4-fold l...

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four pediatric deaths from community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—Minnesota and North Dakota, 1997–1999. JAMA. 1999;282:1123–5. DOI: 10.1001/jama. 282.12.1123 2. Tristan A, Bes M, Meugnier H, Lina G, Bozdogan B, Courvalin P, et al. Global distribution of Panton-Valentine leukocidin–positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococc...

conclusions carriage of pvl-positive s. aureus is common in this region, even in the low frequency of mrsa colonization. the detection of acme-arca gene in s. aureus isolates is a public-health concern and demands continued surveillance and close monitoring. results among the 813 subjects screened, 83 (10.2%) were persistent carriers, 86 (10.6%) were transient carriers and 644 (79.2%) cases wer...

Eighty-two percent of 320 clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from various infection sites collected throughout South Africa were separated into five major globally prevalent clusters by SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, spa, and SCCmec typing. Only one Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive isolate was detected. This is the first detailed MRSA epidemiology s...

We examined the antibody responses of pediatric patients infected with community-associated Staphylococcus aureus isolates. The data show that patients infected with Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive strains developed a dominant immunoglobulin G anti-PVL antibody response that correlates with markers of inflammation.

Among 10 strains of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) isolated in 2002 from patients with skin infections, seven harbored the Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene, two harbored the exfoliative toxin A gene, and one harbored neither of these genes. CA-MRSA isolates producing a variety of exotoxins are currently spreading in the Swiss community.

Three patients with extensive necrotizing pneumonia due to Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains and with aggravating factors (leukopenia count of less than 3x10(9)/liter in all three cases and hemoptysis in two cases) were successfully treated with toxin-suppressing agents introduced rapidly after hospital admission.