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Two clones have predominated in community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections in the U.S. One of them, USA300, is more widespread and has been associated with outbreaks and particularly severe disease. To identify genes responsible for the distinctive virulence and epidemiologic characteristics of USA300, researchers determined the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant strain from a patient in San Francisco and compared it with the sequences of 10 other staphylococcal strains, including 6 S. aureus (SA) strains.
Most of the unique genes in USA300 clustered in five mobile genetic elements encoding virulence or resistance determinants. These included the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME), typical…