MALDI-TOF MS typing of a nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit.

This study is one of the first to document the potential usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS with standardized data analysis as a typing tool for investigating a nosocomial MRSA outbreak. A concordance of 93% compared to reference typing techniques was observed. However, because of poor reproducibility, long-term follow-up of prospective isolated strains is not practical for routine use. Further studies are needed to confirm our observations.