• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the hygiene condition of PC room(internet cafe) in Seoul Korea. From July 2004 to December, 34 samples were collected, there's an average of $9.0{\times}10^4$ CFU/ml on keyboards, $2{\times}10$ CFU/ml on mouse and $5{\times}10^3$ CFU/ml on door konbs toilets, suggesting that keyboards and mouse are more contaminated than toilet door knobs. Seven antimicrobial resistant strains were isolated from PC Rooms. Two isolates were resistant to methicillin and erythromycin, while five isolates were resistant to gentamicin, ampicllin, cefotaxim, and chloramphenicol. By identification, these strains were identified as Staphylococcus aureus (2 strains). Actinobacillus ureae (4 strains) and Pasteurella multocida (1 strain), respectively. Pasteurella multocida and Actinobacillus ureae are potentially pathogenic bacteria. Actinobacillus ureae, formerly, known as Pasteurella ureae, is an uncommon of the upper respiratory tract in humans. Pasteurella multocida is a part of the normal flora in the nasopharynx of many domestic animals. We concluded that Staphylococcus aureus is highly resistant to erythromycin and methicillin over $100\;{\mu}g/ml$, while Pasteurella multocida and Actinobacillus ureae is highly resistant to gentamicin, ampicillinover over $100\;{\mu}g/ml$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.799-805
• /
• 2016

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the major causative agent of nosocomial infection, has also been reported from non-human sources. A sequence type (ST) 541 MRSA isolate designated K12PJN53 was isolated from a healthy pig in 2012. The genome of K12PJN53 consists of 44 contiguous sequences (contigs), totalling 2,880,108 bases with 32.88% GC content. Among the annotated contigs, 14, 17, and 18 contained genes related to antimicrobial resistance, adherence, and toxin genes, respectively. The genomic distance of strain K12PJN53 was close to the ST398 strains. This is the first report of the draft genome sequence of a novel livestock-associated MRSA ST541 strain.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2010

The aims of this study were to investigate the nosocomial infection route of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and explore preventative methods for this pathogen that involve blocking its dispersion. We cultured MRSA from nasal cavity swabs collected between June and July 2008 that we obtained from eight dental healthcare providers, 32 nurses and the sputum specimens of two patients from our hospital. In addition, we used VITEK 2 equipment to measure drug sensitivity, and we further performed biochemical testing and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to isolate MRSA colonies. The incidence of these bacteria on the nasal swabs was 25.0% from dental clinic healthcare providers, 13.6% from the internal medicine ward nurses and 30.0% from intensive care unit nurses. Moreover, MRSA was detectable in sputum specimens of ward patients. The antimicrobial agents resistance and partial PFGE types of MRSA showed a similar pattern. We suggest from these analyses that nasal cavity infection by MRSA could occur by cross contamination between healthcare providers and patients which underscores the importance of stringent MRSA management practices.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.325-336
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors influencing compliance of multidrug-resistant organism infection control in intensive care units (ICU) nurses. Methods: Data were collected from 254 ICU nurses who were working at 6 general and advanced general hospitals in D city and G Province. Results: 77.2% and 84.4% of the subjects correctly answered to questions about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), respectively. The scores of MRSA infection control compliance and VRE infection control compliance were 3.41 and 3.43, respectively. The factors influencing MRSA infection control compliance were empowerment, environmental safety recognition, and education satisfaction, which explained 30% of MRSA infection control compliance. The factors significantly related to VRE infection control compliance were empowerment, hospital types, environmental safety recognition, number of education sessions, and neonatal ICU, which explained 37% of VRE infection control compliance. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop efficient educational programs for infection control including educational contents to improve empowerment and environmental safety recognition of nurses. Furthermore, administrative support for those infection control programs is also necessary.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2021

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection often complicates burn wounds. Mupirocin is the antibiotic of choice for superficial MRSA infection, and its resistance is on the rise due to its frequent and widespread use. This study aimed to develop and evaluate Curcuma xanthorriza extract (CXE)-containing gel as a topical agent against MRSA-infected second-degree burn wound in rats. CXE was obtained using maceration with 96% ethanol. Xanthorrhizol level, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity were evaluated using a standardized method. In vivo, the wound's healing and bacterial load were evaluated every three days, whereas the histopathology of the wound was examined on day 12 of treatment. One-Way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyze the data. In this study, 27.0% and 7.10% of the obtained CXE were xanthorrhizol and curcumin, respectively. Additionally, an IC50 of 64.27 ppm was shown in antioxidant activity measurement, and MIC against MRSA was 5 mg/ml. Treatment with CXE-containing gels showed a significant reduction in bacterial load and proliferation of connective tissue in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, CXE-containing gel showed a greater reduction of bacterial load and more advanced wound healing phase than mupirocin.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.158-162
• /
• 2007

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of a major nosocomial pathogen worldwide and the emergence of this strain has become a major clinical problem. This study was performed for 13 hospitals with more than 400 beds in the country by collecting samples including hands and nasal cavities of doctors, nurses, guardians and patients. Also, additional 320 samples of hands and nasal cavities of 160 community resident in different locations and regions were collected. In all of medical environments and community resident, 625 strains of S. aureus were detected. Among 625 strains of S. aureus, 585 strains(93.6%) showed the resistance to at least one kind of antimicrobial and 112 strains (17.9%) showed multi-drug resistance with the resistance to 4 different types of antimicrobial. Total 152 MRSA strains (24.3%) were isolated from medical environment and community resident. In nasal cavity and hand, 49 MRSA (19.4%) and 103 (27.6%) MRSA were isolated, respectively Minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) test is used to measure for susceptibility of MRSA isolated to oxacillin. At a concentration $16{\mu}g/ml$ of oxacillin, 11 strains were inhibited. 32 strains at $32{\mu}g/ml$, 41 strains at $64{\mu}g/ml$, 3 strains at $128{\mu}g/ml$, 25 stains at $256{\mu}g/ml$ and 40 strains at over $256{\mu}g/ml$ were inhibited. It was considered that medical environment showed higher than livestock and marine environments in MRSA detection rate.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.150-161
• /
• 2009

Purpose : Staphylococcus aureus causes a variety of infections, ranging from benign skin infections to fatal invasive infections. Recently, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections have emerged in patients who do not have established risk factors. This study was conducted to characterize S. aureus infections in children with an emphasis on communityassociated MRSA infections at a tertiary care pediatric facility during a 3-year period. Methods : Four hundred twenty-nine cases of S. aureus infections diagnosed at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between January 2004 and December 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. The cases were classified as hospitalonset (HO) or community-onset (CO), healthcare-associated (HA), or community-associated (CA) infections. Results : Among the 206 cases <1 year of age, 72%, 7%, and 21% were HO-HA, CO-HA, and CA infections, respectively, as compared to 48%, 28%, and 24% among the 223 cases >1 year of age. The proportion of CO-HA infections among HA infections (8.6% vs. 37.1%, P<0.001) and the proportion of HA infections among the CO infections (24.5% vs. 54.3%, P <0.001) were greater in older children than in infants. Overall, 57% of the isolates were methicillin-resistant. Twenty-nine (30%) of 96 CA strains were MRSA, and the most common site of CA-MRSA infection was the skin and soft tissues (26 cases). Conclusion : The methicillin resistance rate of S. aureus from CA infections was high and CA-MRSA was most often associated with skin and soft tissue infections.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.121-128
• /
• 2008

The aim of this study was to develop a LightCycler-based real time PCR (LC-PCR) assay and to evaluate its diagnostic use for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk samples. Following amplification of 113 bp of coa gene encoding an coagulase precursor specific for Staphylococcus aureus, melting curve and DNA sequencing analysis was performed to verify the specificity of the PCR products. Amplification of 209 bp gene encoding an altered penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a (mecA), melting curve analysis and DNA sequencing analysis was performed to verify methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). According to this study, 6 of 647 raw milk samples showed S. aureus positive and 2 of them showed a mecA positive and the detection limit was 10 fg of DNA. And we also isolated Staphylococcus chromogenes a causative agent of exudative epidermitis in pigs and cattle from 3 samples.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.201-208
• /
• 2000

The vancomycin, one of the family of glycopeptide antibiotics, inhibits the synthesis of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan and has been widely used against gram-positive bacterial infections, especially for a treatment of methicillin resistant S. aureus infection. However, clinical isolate which was intermediately resistant to vancomycin (Mu50: MIC 8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) was isolated in recent years. In this study we performed vancomycin susceptibility test with the increment method and population analysis with clinical isolates S. aureus. Also we did several kinds of tests with three selected isolates (s129: MIC 7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, s134: MIC 7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, s135: MIC 8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) to find out possible mechanism of vancomycin resistance. As a result, the prevalence of vancomycin resistant S. aureus isolates among S. aureus strains resistant to methicillin was 23.3% (25/107). The vancomycin resistances of isolated strains of S. aureus were between those of Mu5O and Mu3 strains. By PCR analysis, none of the isolates with decreased vancomycin susceptibility contained known vancomycin resistant genes such as vanA, vanB, vanC1, vanC2, and vanH. Major bands of 81 kDa, 58 kDa, 33 kDa, 28 kDa were demonstrable in whole cell lysates by SDS-PAGE from all three isolates as well as reference strains. And especially,45 kDa protein was overproduced in Mu50 strains. Among them increased production of NAD$^{+}$-linked-$_{D}$-lactate dehydrogenase (dnLDH) were detected from one clinical strain (s135) and Mu5O strain. From these data, we suggest that the mechanism of vancomycin resistance in these isolates are distinct from that in enterococci.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.255-265
• /
• 2016

Objectives: Mobile phones have become one of the most essential accessories in daily life. However, they may act as reservoir of infectious pathogens if they are used without hygienic practices in their handling. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate food-borne pathogens from mobile phones and investigate the characteristics of toxin genes and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Methods: A total of 146 mobile phones were collected from 83 middle- and 63 high-school students in Busan. The surfaces of the mobile phones were aseptically swabbed. Results: Among the food-borne pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli were detected in 26 (17.8%), 20 (13.7%) and four (2.7%) samples, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences according to school level, gender or phone type. None of four E. coli strains had pathogenic toxic genes. All of the B. cereus strains carried at least three different toxin genes among the nine enterotoxin and emetic toxin genes. Three out of 20 B. cereus strains (15%) possessed emetic toxin genes, which are rarely detected in food-poisoning cases in Korea. Among the 26 strains of S. aureus, the detection rate of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes, toxic shock syndrome toxin (tsst) and factors essential for methicillin resistance (femA) were 84.6%, 7.7% and 100%, respectively. In the antibiotic susceptibility test, there was no methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). Conclusion: The results show that students' mobile phones in Busan were contaminated by food-borne pathogens which carried various toxic genes. Therefore, regular phone disinfection and hand hygiene is important in order to reduce cross-contamination.