How does it work?
Participating centres are requested to submit swabs of travel related skin and soft tissue infections or already isolated Staphylococcus aureus together with brief information on travel characteristics to the centre in Lübeck. In case Staphylococcus aureus can be isolated from the material, information on methicillin resistance and PVL will be redistributed to the submitting institution (for research use only!). Results will be periodically summarized, provided to all centres, and made available to public health authorities in Europe. For detailed information (inclusion criteria, shipping of specimens etc.) see below and download section of this page or contact the study coordinators.
Criteria for inclusion of patients
-
-
- Patient has pus producing skin infection on the day of the clinic visit
- Patient has legal (≥ 18 years of age) and mental status to give consent
- Submitting centre is located in the country of the patient’s current country of residence
- Onset of skin infection is i.) while abroad OR ii.) within 30 days after entry into the EU after a stay* outside the EU, Switzerland or Norway (*travel-related or due to migration)
(NOTE: In order to ascertain import of infection from outside EU, Switzerland or Norway, the first clinic visit can not be later than 30 days after return. However, to also acknowledge recurrent cases emerging from the colonized host, travel clinics are also encouraged to include cases that present at a later point in time, with a history of onset of purulent SSTI abroad or within 30 days after return. In those cases it will be particularly important to record the number of recurrent episodes on the case recording form.)
-
Expected input
-
-
- nasal and lesional swabs (standard culture swab in transport medium)
- short questionnaire with patient information (anonymous)
- cost for packaging and posting patient material within Germany (Maxibrief, 2.75 €)
- international transport via TNT will be covered by StaphTrav (details upon request)
-
Send submissions to our central lab:
StaphTrav@Uniklinik Schleswig-Holstein
Attn.: M. Albrecht c/o AG Prof. Nurjadi
Klinik für Infektiologie und Mikrobiologie
BMF | Building 67 | 3. floor
Room 067.000 30 043.00
Ratzeburger Allee 160
D-23538 Lübeck
Germany