Emergence of methicillin resistance and Panton-Valentine leukocidin positivity in hospital- and community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus infections in Beira, Mozambique.

The aim of this study was to investigate antibiotic resistance patterns, including health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) and the staphylococcal toxin Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) in Mozambique’s Beira Hospital. Previous studies had been conducted on post-operative and burn wound infections at the Central Hospital of Beira and on skin and soft tissue abscesses at St. Luke’s Health Center.

The study shows, for the first time in Mozambique, the emergence of nosocomial MRSA infection. The prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection was low, while the rate of PVL toxin gene carriage in patients sensitive to methicillin was high. Overall, the findings of the study highlight the need to strengthen laboratory services in order to obtain reliable microbiological data both for monitoring and treating the toxin.