Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec in MRSA, Taiwan

Abstract

To determine the predominant staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec element in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, we typed 190 isolates from a hospital in Taiwan. We found a shift from type IV to type III SCCmec element during 1992–2003, perhaps caused by selective pressure from indiscriminate use of antimicrobial drugs.

Keywords

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• multilocus sequence typing
• SCCmec
• dispatch
• Taiwan