BACKGROUND:One of the most stigmatizing physical sequelaeof leprosy in cured patients is the development of chronic lower extremity ulcers. The bacterial diversity present in ulcers is considered one of the factors that can delay the healing process, as well as serve as a focus for severe secondary infections.OBJECTIVE:To identify the microbiota and antimicrobial resistance profile of bacteria isolated from skin ulcers in patients cured of leprosy.METHODS:After obtaining informed consent, material was collected from ulcers of 16 patients treated at the Outpatient Public Health Dermatology Clinic of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital Colônia Itapuã. Sampleswere collected during dressing, and the material sent to the Microbiology Laboratory of the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre for microbiological culture. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) was characterized by two molecular methods, including detection of the mecA gene by PCR and SCCmecgene typing.RESULTS:Cultures revealed microorganisms in all ulcers: Gram-negative bacilli in 80%, Gram-positive cocci in 63%, and mixed microflora in 36%. Staphylococcus aureusand Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most prevalent bacteria. Assessment of the antimicrobial resistance profile was notable for the presence of MRSA. Molecular analysis of this isolate revealed presence of the mecA gene contained in a type IV staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec).CONCLUSIONS:In patients with leprosy, laboratory culture of skin ulcers is essential for correct antibiotic selection and to control emerging pathogens, such as MRSA carrying SCCmec type IV.

INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen commonly associated with nosocomial infections. However, it has also been associated with community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections (CA-MRSA). There are few data on the identification and prevalence of CA-MRSA infections in Brazil. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 104 patients with community-acquired skin infections attending two health care centers in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. MRSA isolates were characterized by molecular methods, including detection of the mecA gene by PCR, gene SCCmec typing, Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) detection, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). RESULTS: From the 104 samples, 58 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were obtained, of which five (8.6%) had a CA-MRSA-resistant profile. All five isolates had the mecA gene and amplified to SCCmec type IV. Analysis of chromosomal DNA by PFGE revealed the presence of two clusters related to international clones (OSPC and USA 300), with a Dice similarity coefficient >80%. The study was complemented by MLST, which detected three different strains: ST30, ST8, and ST45, the latter not presenting any relation with the clones compared in PFGE. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of CA-MRSA reveals an important change in the epidemiology of this pathogen and adds new elements to the knowledge of the molecular biology of infections by MRSA with SCCmec type IV in southern Brazil.

Staphylococcus aureus é uma bactéria responsável por uma ampla variedade de enfermidades infecciosas. A grande preocupação está relacionada, principalmente, com os isolados resistentes à meticilina (MRSA), que, tradicionalmente, estavam limitados aos hospitais. Nos últimos anos, infecções causadas por MRSA associadas ou adquiridas na comunidade (CA-MRSA) têm sido relatadas com frequência crescente em todo o mundo. Algumas características fenotípicas e genéticas são distintas entre a forma de infecção hospitalar e a comunitária. Atualmente, verifica-se um perfil de sensibilidade reduzido para diferentes antimicrobianos; sendo assim faz-se necessário um alerta aos profissionais da saúde, particularmente aos dermatologistas, para a importância da distinção entre as formas de infecções, evitando uma terapia empírica incorreta e sem sucesso.

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a broad variety of infectious diseases. The main concern is about methicillin-resistant isolates (MRSA), which are usually limited to hospitals. In recent years, community associated or acquired MRSA infections (CA-MRSA) have been frequently reported and emerged in the world. Some phenotypic and genotypic characteristics are distinct between hospital and community infection. Currently, there is reduced sensibility profile to different antimicrobials, reason why it is necessary to issue an alert to healthcare professionals, dermatologists in particular, about the importance of knowing the differences between the infections, preventing wrong and unsuccessful empirical therapy.

Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina foi inicialmente descrito como um típico microrganismo adquirido em infecções nosocomiais. No entanto, nos últimos anos Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina adquirido na comunidade é causa de infecções de pele e tecidos moles, mas infecções graves como pneumonia e sepse podem ocorrer. Este relato descreve um caso de sepse em criança, complicado com pneumonia secundária a lesão em partes moles por Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina adquirido na comunidade no Sul do Brasil. O paciente foi atendido em Unidade de Emergência com história de ferimento provocado por trauma em membro inferior que evoluiu para celulite, pneumonia e sepse.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was initially described as a typical microorganism acquired in nosocomial infections. However, over recent years, community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been a cause of skin and soft-tissue infections. Serious infections such as pneumonia and sepsis can also occur. This report describes a case of sepsis in a child that was complicated by pneumonia secondary to soft tissue lesions that were due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in southern Brazil. The patient was attended at the Emergency Unit with a history of injury caused by lower-limb trauma that evolved to cellulitis, pneumonia and sepsis.