Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus infections in returning travelers.

Skin and soft tissue infections caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus are emerging among travelers returning from the tropics. Here, we here present data on 15 affected individuals. Intrafamiliar spread was documented in one case, and occupational transmission was assumed in another. Spa typing of the strains revealed a broad spectrum of variants, but some were clonally related. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was found in three cases.