Prevalence of Panton Valentine Leucocidin gene containing Staphylococcus aureus in pus samples from Paediatric patients

Abstract

Staphylococcus (Staph) aureus containing Panton Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) gene are spreading in the whole world. This gene encodes PVL toxin that has lytic effect on WBCs contributing to the low immunity of the body. It also causes pus formation in various places of the body. This study was conducted to understand the effect of PVL positive Staph aureus in causing purulent infections in children between the age of one day to 15 years.

Pus samples from various sites of the body from children between the age of one day to 15 years were taken. The number of pus samples containing Staph aureus was 45. These were collected over a period of one year, from October 2, 2017 to September 30, 2018, at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore.

A total of 60% PVL samples were positive Staph aureus. Prevalence of PVL gene was noted to be high in MSSA (64%), wound swabs (75%), in isolates from orthopaedic department (75%), indoor (63%), and in males 66%.

Our study showed that most of the Staph aureus samples that were obtained from pus samples from children had PVL gene in their genome. This percentage is very high. To control its spread, we need to treat not only the patients but also their close contacts.

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