TY - JOUR T1 - The use of spa and phage typing for characterization of a MRSA population in a Belgian hospital: comparison between 2002 and 200736895 JF - Pathol.Biol.(Paris) Y1 - 2010 A1 - C. Wildemauwe A1 - D. De Brouwer A1 - Godard,C. A1 - Buyssens,P. A1 - Dewit,J. A1 - Joseph,R. A1 - R. Vanhoof KW - 0 KW - 2007 KW - a KW - Aged KW - Aged,80 and over KW - analysis KW - article KW - AS KW - Bacterial Typing Techniques KW - Bacteriophage Typing KW - Belgian KW - Belgium KW - Brussels KW - Change KW - Changes KW - classification KW - Comparative Study KW - Comparison KW - Cross Infection KW - Dna KW - DNA,Bacterial KW - electronic KW - epidemiology KW - Female KW - future KW - general KW - genetics KW - Group KW - health KW - hospital KW - Hospitals,General KW - Humans KW - im KW - Institute KW - IS KW - isolation & purification KW - journal KW - Male KW - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus KW - method KW - methods KW - microbiology KW - middle aged KW - MRSA KW - pathogen KW - Patient KW - patients KW - Phage type KW - POPULATION KW - protein KW - public KW - public health KW - Public-health KW - result KW - results KW - Retrospective Studies KW - SB - IM KW - specific KW - Staphylococcal Infections KW - Staphylococcal Protein A KW - Staphylococcus Phages KW - statistics & numerical data KW - strain KW - study KW - Target KW - Transmission KW - trend KW - trends KW - Type KW - use KW - utilization AB - TARGET OF THE STUDY: Strain typing of pathogens is essential to pinpoint the sources and routes of transmission and to forecast future trends. In a general hospital, we studied possible changes in the MRSA population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: MRSA isolates received from a Belgian general hospital, during 2002 (n=150) and the second half of 2007 (n=105), were compared by phage and spa typing. RESULTS: In 2002, [J]* phage types characterized 45% of the MRSA isolates, 13% belonged to the [O]* phage types, 12% to a local phage type 29/42E/54/D11* and 28% were not assigned to a defined group. Thirteen different spa types were found among the isolates: 39% belonged to t038, 27% to t121, 14% to t041, 5% to t740, and 4% to t002 and t024 each. Two spa types were found respectively in two and three isolates, five were unique. In 2007, 35% belonged to [J]*, 23% to [O]* and 39% could not be put in a defined group. Eighteen different spa types were found: 30% belonged to t740, 29% to t121, 13% to t038 and 10% to t002. Three spa types were represented in two isolates, eleven were unique. The t041 spa type was specific for the 29/42E/54/D11* and the majority of the t121 isolates were related to [J]*. CONCLUSION: [J]* remained the dominant phage types group but decreased whereas [O]*, the second phage types group, increased. As to the spa types, t740 became dominant while t121 remained second. Phage and spa typing point to some quantitative changes among the Belgian MRSA population VL - 58 CP - 1 U1 - 36895 M3 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patbio.2009.07.024 ER -