A Comparative Analysis of the Clinical and Genomic Characteristics of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Positive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Korea and Japan

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a cytotoxic toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus and is strongly associated with skin and soft tissue infections. In recent years, the prevalence of PVL-positive methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has increased rapidly in Japan. In addition to the globally disseminated USA300 clone, novel PVL-positive clones such as pseudoUSA300 and ST22-PT have also been identified in this region. In contrast, information on PVL-positive MRSA isolated in Korea remains limited, and its molecular epidemiological characteristics are not well understood. The aim of this study is to elucidate the epidemiological landscape of PVL-positive MRSA in East Asia by comparatively analysing the clinical backgrounds and genomic characteristics of PVL-positive MRSA isolates collected from Japan and Korea during the same period.