Characterization of clinical isolates of pathogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nocardia</Emphasis> strains and related actinomycetes in Thailand from 1996 to 2003

In Thailand from 1996 to 2003, 171 strains of pathogenic aerobic actinomycetes from clinical specimens were isolated. Of those strains, 134 were mycolic acid containing actinomycetes, including 96 strains of Nocardia species. Others included 10 strains of Gordonia, 14 strains of Rhodococcus, and 22 strains of Mycobacterium. One strain each of the genera Tsukamurella and Corynebacterium were also isolated. Also identified were 27 strains of non-mycolic acid containing actinomycetes. Our identification studies of 96 strains of Nocardia species showed that significant pathogens in Thailand were N. beijingensis (18 strains), N. cyriacigeorgica (13 strains), and N. farcinica (34 strains); the most prevalent species was N. farcinica (35.4%). We also isolated four strains of N. asiatica, five strains of N. asteroides sensu stricto, four strains of N. nova, seven strains of N. otitidiscaviarum, eight strains of N. transvalensis, and two strains of N. pseudobrasiliensis.     

Epidemiological study on the relationship between toxin production and psm-mec mutations in MRSA isolates in Thailand

In this present study, we investigated the phenol-soluble modulin (psm-mec) mutations, the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types, and toxin production in 102 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from the northeast and central regions of Thailand. The MRSA isolates carrying -7T>C psm-mec in Type II SCCmec (n = 18) and the MRSA isolates carrying no psm-mec in Type IV (n = 8) or Type IX SCCmec (n = 4) had higher hemolytic activity against sheep erythrocytes than MRSA isolates carrying intact psm-mec in Type III SCCmec (n = 34), but MRSA isolates carrying no psm-mec in Type I SCCmec (n = 27) did not.