XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
  AIDS
  Influenza
  MRSA
  Tuberculosis
  Shigella
  HCV
  SARS
  Ebola
  Dengue
  Malaria
  Pertussis
  Mumps
  Prion Diseases
  Small Pox
  Anthrax
  Leishmaniasis
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
Search

Last Updated: Nov 17th, 2006 - 22:35:04

MRSA Channel
subscribe to MRSA newsletter

Latest Research : Infectious Diseases : MRSA

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
Community MRSA is re-emergence of 1950's pandemic
Apr 3, 2005, 11:21, Reviewed by: Dr.

The community acquired MRSA clone has a toxin and other traits with a proven track record for causing serious diseases in healthier and younger age groups than those currently regarded as at risk. The increased resistance to antibiotics of the community acquired MRSA clone over its 80/81 ancestor mean that there could also be other factors which complicate the treatment of the disease it causes

 
This "re-equipping and re-emergence" of a clone that caused a pandemic 40-50 years ago could mean that community acquired MRSA will spread faster and be more widespread than previously expected, warns an international team of researchers who have been studying the bacteria.

First isolated in Australia and Canada in 1953, type 80/81 penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria caused skin lesions, sepsis and pneumonia in children and young adults around the world. This pandemic of both hospital and community acquired infections waned throughout the 1960s as the antibiotic meticillin was used to treat these infections.

Now researchers have shown that one of the key clones of community acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) - infections picked up in public places which are resistant to treatment by powerful meticillin antibiotics - may have evolved from this earlier pandemic-causing strain.

The researchers have sequenced key genes from 80/81 samples isolated between 1955 and 1969 in Australia, England and the USA, and compared them with the same regions in genes from a clone of one of the most common CA MRSAs which has been found in England and Scotland.

They found that these key regions in nearly all of the 80/81 isolates were identical to the CA-MRSA clone, and also that they share the same highly-virulent toxin, called Panton-Valentine leucocidin.

They believe that their findings suggest that this particular CA MRSA clone has evolved from the earlier 80/81 type, developing resistance to meticillin antibiotics over the last 30-40 years, possibly through several intermediate steps.

"At the time of the 1950s pandemic, many doctors thought that these isolates were unusually transmissible and virulent," said Dr Mark Enright from Department of Biology and Biochemistry the University of Bath (UK) who is leading the research.

"We have shown that 80/81 and its souped-up community acquired MRSA descendent share many of the same features, which explains why 1950s pandemic was so successful, but also shows why community acquired MRSA could pose such a serious public health challenge in coming years.

"The community acquired MRSA clone has a toxin and other traits with a proven track record for causing serious diseases in healthier and younger age groups than those currently regarded as at risk. The increased resistance to antibiotics of the community acquired MRSA clone over its 80/81 ancestor mean that there could also be other factors which complicate the treatment of the disease it causes."
 

- British Information Services
 

www.britainusa.com

 
Subscribe to MRSA Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 



Related MRSA News

Transmission of MRSA Linked to Previous Intensive Care Unit Room Occupants
Study shows rising incidence of CA-MRSA muscle infections
Acanthamoeba polyphagam acts as an incubator for MRSA
MRSA infects and replicates in amoebae
Two Million Americans Harbor MRSA Superbug
25% Of Hospital MRSA Bacteraemia Occurs In New Arrivals
Zyvox� More Effective than Vancomycin in Treating Complicated Soft Tissue Infections
Patent Issued for Dalbavancin for the Treatment of Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
Community MRSA is re-emergence of 1950's pandemic
Drug-Resistant MRSA a Growing Threat


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us