Amoebae promote persistence of epidemic strains of MRSA.

Huws, Sharon A.; Smith, Anthony W.; Enright, Mark C.; Wood, Pauline J.; Brown, Michael R. W.

dc.contributor.author	Huws, Sharon A.
dc.contributor.author	Smith, Anthony W.
dc.contributor.author	Enright, Mark C.
dc.contributor.author	Wood, Pauline J.
dc.contributor.author	Brown, Michael R. W.
dc.date.accessioned	2008-01-08T11:52:20Z
dc.date.available	2008-01-08T11:52:20Z
dc.date.issued	2006
dc.identifier.citation	Environmental Microbiology, 8(6): 1130-1133
dc.identifier.issn	1462-2912
dc.identifier.pmid	16689734
dc.identifier.doi	10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.00991.x
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/2436/15814
dc.description.abstract	The control of healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is of concern worldwide. Given the evidence that several pathogenic species replicate within amoebae and emerge more virulent and more resistant and the abundance of amoebae in healthcare settings, we investigated interactions of Acanthamoeba polyphaga with epidemic MRSA isolates. MRSA proliferated in the presence of amoebae, attributable partly to intracellular replication. Following 24 h of co-culture, confocal microscopy revealed that c. 50% amoebae had viable MRSA within phago-lysosomes and 2% of amoebae were heavily infected with viable cocci throughout the cytoplasm. Infection control strategies should recognize the contribution of protozoa.
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher	Wiley InterScience
dc.relation.url	http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118567427/abstract
dc.subject	Amoebae
dc.subject	Epidemic strains
dc.subject	MRSA
dc.subject	Healthcare
dc.title	Amoebae promote persistence of epidemic strains of MRSA.
dc.type	Journal article
refterms.dateFOA	2018-08-20T14:42:18Z
html.description.abstract	The control of healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is of concern worldwide. Given the evidence that several pathogenic species replicate within amoebae and emerge more virulent and more resistant and the abundance of amoebae in healthcare settings, we investigated interactions of Acanthamoeba polyphaga with epidemic MRSA isolates. MRSA proliferated in the presence of amoebae, attributable partly to intracellular replication. Following 24 h of co-culture, confocal microscopy revealed that c. 50% amoebae had viable MRSA within phago-lysosomes and 2% of amoebae were heavily infected with viable cocci throughout the cytoplasm. Infection control strategies should recognize the contribution of protozoa.