MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Development of a triplex real-time PCR assay for detection of Panton-Valentine leukocidin toxin genes in clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

McDonald RR, Antonishyn NA, Hansen T, Snook LA, Nagle E, Mulvey MR, Levett PN, Horsman GB

Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, 3211 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 5W6, Canada. rmcdonal@health.gov.sk.ca

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus harboring Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes is an emerging pathogen. A novel real-time PCR assay for identification of MRSA isolates containing PVL was developed. The PVL assay was used in a triplex format allowing simultaneous amplification of mecA, nuc, and PVL genes in 614 clinical isolates. This assay facilitates the rapid identification of PVL-positive isolates of MRSA.

Published 7 December 2005 in J Clin Microbiol, 43(12): 6147-9.
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