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(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background: The Central Australian Indigenous population has a high incidence of Staphylococcus aureus
bacteremia (SAB) but little is known about the local molecular epidemiology.
Methods: Prospective observational study of bacteremic and nasal colonizing S.aureus isolates between June 2006
to June 2010. All isolates underwent single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping and testing for the
presence of the Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (pvl) gene.
Results: Invasive isolates (n = 97) were predominantly ST93 (26.6 %) and pvl positive (54.3 %), which was associated
with skin and soft tissue infections (OR 4.35, 95 % CI 1.16, 16.31). Non-multiresistant MRSA accounted for 31.9 % of
bacteremic samples and showed a trend to being healthcare associated (OR 2.16, 95 % CI 0.86, 5.40). Non-invasive
isolates (n = 54) were rarely ST93 (1.9 %) or pvl positive (7.4 %).
Conclusions: In Central Australia, ST93 was the dominant S.aureus clone, and was frequently pvl positive and
associated with an aggressive clinical phenotype. Whether non-nasal carriage is more important with invasive
clones or whether colonization occurs only transiently remains to be elucidated