Strain typing and characterization of virulence genes in clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Kenya (original) (raw)

Staphylococcusaureus strain typing is an important surveillance tool as particular strains have been associated with virulence and community and hospital acquired MRSA outbreaks globally. This study sought to determine the circulating strain types of S.aureus in Kenya and establish the virulence genes among the strains. Clinical S.aureus isolates from 3 hospitals in Kenya were sequenced on the Illumina Miseq and genomes assembled and annotated on PATRIC. Results demonstrated great diversity among the isolates with identification of 6 distinct CC (8,22,15,80,121,152), 8 ST types (8, 15, 22,80,121,152,241, 1633) and 8 spa types (t005, t037, t064, t084, t233, t2029, t272,t355). Novel STs (4705, 4707) and a novel spa type (t17826) were identified. The most prominent clonal complex was CC 152 comprised of only MSSA. A majority of MRSA isolates (3/4) typed to ST 241, CC8. One MRSA isolate typed to a novel ST 4705. All isolates were screened for a panel of 56 known virulence genes (19 adhe...