Systemic infection caused by the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300-LV lineage in a Brazilian child previously colonized

ABSTRACT The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) USA300-Latin American variant (USA300-LV) lineage is well documented in northern Latin American countries. It has replaced established clones in hospital environments. We herein report a systemic infection caused by a USA300-LV isolate in a 15-year-old boy, from a low-income area of Rio de Janeiro, previously colonized by the same strain. During hospital stay, seven pvl-positive MRSA USA300-LV isolates were recovered by nasal swab, blood and abscess secretion. The patient underwent intravenous vancomycin, daptomycin, and oral sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and was discharged after 45 days after full recovery. This is the first documented case of a community-acquired MRSA infection caused by the USA300-LV variant in Brazil in a previously colonized adolescent with no history of recent travel outside of Rio de Janeiro. The need for improved surveillance programs to detect MRSA colonization in order to control the spread of hypervirulent lineages among community and hospital settings is highlighted.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from an intensive care unit in Minas Gerais, Brazil, over a six-year period

ABSTRACT To characterize methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from an intensive care unit of a tertiary-care teaching hospital, between 2005 and 2010. A total of 45 isolates were recovered from patients admitted to the intensive care unit in the study period. Resistance rates higher than 80% were found for clindamycin (100%), erythromycin (100%), levofloxacin (100%), azithromycin (97.7%), rifampin (88.8%), and gentamycin (86.6%). The SCCmec typing revealed that the isolates harbored the types III (66.7%), II (17.8%), IV (4.4%), and I (2.2%). Four (8.9%) isolates carried non-typeable cassettes. Most (66.7%) of the isolates were related to the Brazilian endemic clone from CC8/SCCmec III, which was prevalent (89.3%) between 2005 and 2007, while the USA100/CC5/SCCmec II lineage emerged in 2007 and was more frequent in the last few years. The study showed high rates of antimicrobial resistance among methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates and the replacement of Brazilian clone, a well-established hospital lineage, by the USA100 in the late 2000s, at the intensive care unit under study.

Estrias angióides: análise fundoscópica de 317 casos / Angioid streaks: fundoscopic analysis of 317 cases

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a presença de neovascularização de coróide (NVC) e suas seqüelas em pacientes portadores de estrias angióides (EA). MÉTODOS: Foram analisados retrospectivamente os prontuários de pacientes atendidos no Instituto Suel Abujamra, São Paulo (SP), Brasil, de 1976 a 2006. Considerou-se a idade, cor da pele, queixas na primeira consulta, acuidade visual e aspecto fundoscópico com especial atenção a lesões disciformes por NVC sub-retinianas ativas ou cicatrizadas. RESULTADOS: Dos 317 pacientes estudados, 163 (51,5 por cento) eram homens. A média de idade era de 57 anos com desvio-padrão de 12,4 anos, mínimo de 11 e máximo de 91 anos. Quanto a cor da pele, 209 (66,2 por cento) eram brancos, 91 (29,0 por cento) amarelos,11 (3,7 por cento) negros, e 3 (1,1 por cento) pardos. As EA eram bilaterais em todos os pacientes, e de 631 olhos pesquisados, 348 (55,1 por cento) tinham EA de coloração marrom, 153 (24,2 por cento) cinza e 124 (19,6 por cento) marrom-avermelhada. No momento do diagnóstico, as acuidades visuais medidas na tabela de Snellen foram piores que 20/200 em 40,4 por cento dos olhos. Comprovou-se a ausência de NVC em 103 (32,5 por cento) pacientes. As lesões NVC unilaterais estavam presentes em 112 (35,3 por cento) e bilaterais em 99 (31,2 por cento). Quanto à localização, 242 (74,3 por cento) eram maculares, 45 (13,8 por cento) extra-maculares e 38 (11,7 por cento) mistas. CONCLUSÃO: As EA são importante causa de cegueira legal e podem passar despercebidas no exame oftalmológico de rotina quando não apresentam lesões maculares disciformes ativas ou cicatrizadas. A importância deste estudo é o expressivo número de casos e alertar os oftalmologistas quanto à necessidade de um exame fundoscópico minucioso, a fim de monitorá-las, diagnosticar e tratar precocemente a NVC.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the presence of choroidal neovascularization (CN) and their sequels in patient bearing angioid streaks (AE). METHODS: Case records of patients assisted from 1976 to 2006 at the Instituto Suel Abujamra located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, were analyzed retrospectively. Age, skin color; patient complaints at the first evaluation, visual acuity, fundoscopic aspects with special attention to disciform lesions to active or scarred subretinal CN were considered. RESULTS: Among the 317 studied patients, 163 (51.5 percent) were men. The average age was 57, with standard deviation of 12.4 years, minimum 11 and maximum 91 years. Regarding skin color, 209 (66.2 percent) were white, 91 (29.0 percent) were yellow, 11 (3.7 percent) were black, and 3 (1.1 percent) were mulatto. AE were bilateral in all patients; of 631 researched eyes, 348 (55.1 percent) had brown color AE, in 153 (24.2 percent) they were gray and in 124 (19.6 percent) reddish brown. Upon diagnosis, visual acuities measured with the Snellen chart were worse than 20/200 in 40.4 percent of the eyes. CN absence was proven in 103 (32.5 percent) patients. The unilateral lesions were present in 112 (35.3 percent) and bilateral lesions were present in 99 (31.2 percent). Regarding location, 242 (74.3 percent) were macular, 45 (13.8 percent) were extramacular and 38 (11.7 percent) were both macular and extramacular. CONCLUSION: AE are an important cause of legal blindness and can be easily bypassed in an ophthalmic routine examination in the absence of active or disciform neovascular lesions. The expressive number of these cases brings us to the importance of this study. It highlights the need for a meticulous fundoscopic examination in order to improve diagnoses of the disease and early treatment of CN.