Clinical features and molecular characteristics of invasive community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in Taiwanese children

Highly virulent community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has been associated with morbidity and mortality in various countries of the world. We characterized the clinical and molecular features of pediatric invasive CA-MRSA infections in Taiwan. Between July 2000 and June 2005, 31 previously healthy children with invasive CA-MRSA infections were identified from 423 children with community-onset methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections. The medical records were reviewed. The clinical isolates, if available, were collected for molecular characterization. Sixteen (51.6%) patients were male, and the mean age was 5.7 years. Adolescents accounted for 9 (29%) cases. Eighteen children had bone and/or joint infections, 14 had deep-seated soft tissue infections, 11 had pneumonia, and 2 had central nervous system infections. Multiorgan involvement was identified in 8 of 20 bacteremic cases. Twenty-two patients (71%) required surgical interventions. The mean hospital stay was 27.4 days. All of the 15 available isolates were classified as sequence type (ST) 59 or its single locus variant and belonged to 2 previously reported community-associated clones containing staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IV or type V_T in Taiwan. Most of the isolates were multiresistant to clindamycin (94%) and erythromycin (97%). Eleven (73.3%) isolates carried pvl genes, and the strains harboring pvl genes were significantly associated with lung involvement. In conclusion, invasive CA-MRSA infections in pediatric population were not limited to young children. Surgical interventions were often required, and a prolonged course of antibiotic therapy was needed. A multiresistant CA-MRSA clone characterized as ST59 was identified from these children in Taiwan.