Conclusions
When compared to non-CRS controls, CRS-related S. aureus strains
demonstrate increased carriage of virulence genes. This appears to
facilitate intracellular localisation of the bacteria conferring a
survival advantage and enhancing pathogenicity. The latter may be partly
due to a reduction in enterotoxin production and the acquisition of
serine proteases splA and B and leukocidins E/D genes. This pathogenicS. aureus phenotype may manifest clinically with disease
recalcitrance and refractoriness to antibiotics.