TABLE 2.

Characteristics of all clinical isolates (enteritis and nonenteritis)

Isolate	Sample	Enteritis isolate	PFGE type	agr group	agrBDC mutation	agrA mutation	Quantitative RT-PCRa				TSST-1 titer by RPLAb
							RNAII	agrA	RNAIII	tst
3895	Stool	+	A	II	+	−	9.6	4.1	113.9	2.1	1024
3936	Stool	+	A	II	+	−	4.3	5.4	13.4	4.6	128
3980	Stool	+	A	II	+	+	4.5	8.8	26.6	3.7	256
3992	Stool	+	B	I	+	+	27.2	89.4	3,716.4
5070	Stool	+	C	II	+	+ (9Ac)	8.4	12.0	27.4	3.6	64
5083	Stool	+	D	II	+	+ (9A)	4.5	5.5	14.7	2.7	128
6211	Stool	+	C	II	−	+ (9A)	40.3	65.1	358.0	26.4	1,024
6251	Stool	+	C	II	−	+ (9A)	8.4	12.0	198.0	3.3	512
6463	Stool	+	C	II	−	+ (9A)	3.5	4.9	3.3	2.5	256
6873	Stool	+	C	II	−	+ (9A)	18.8	31.0	5,862.5	14.8	128
6947	Stool	+	C	II	−	+ (9A)	1.8	9.8	3,655.7	2.3	512
7014	Stool	+	C	II	−	+ (9A)	12.1	12.4	27.3	7.2	512
0009	Sputum	−	A	II	−	−	7.4	6.2	9.1	3.2	1,024
0323	Drain	−	A	II	−	+	3.1	0.8	0.9	0.6	64
0641	Drain	−	A	II	+	−	3.7	2.5	10.6	1.7	2
1017	Stool	−	A	II	−	−	3.7	1.8	14.0	1.3	32
1124	Sputum	−	A	II	−	+	2.9	0.9	5.0	0.9	16
1137	Pleural fluid	−	A	II	−	−	3.2	1.2	5.4	1.4	32
1372	Pus	−	A	II	−	−	18.0	1.1	19.3	1.7	256
0015	Stool	−	Other	I	−	+	6.4		56.3
0084	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	2.2	3.1	1.5	0.4	512
0215	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	2.3	2.3	2.9	0.6	256
0356	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	2.4	2.1	2.3	0.8	128
0392	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	2.0	2.4	3.3	0.4	32
0594	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	4.2	3.2	2.4	1.8	64
0638	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	6.2	0.7	9.3	0.8	256
0726	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	11.6	2.7	5.0	4.2	64
0824	Stool	−	Other	II	−	−	3.5	3.5	5.4	1.1	128
0925	Stool	−	Other	II	−		178.0

^aQuantities are normalized on the basis of 16S rRNA as the internal standard.

^bThe TSST-1 titers were tested in serial dilutions ranging from 1:2 to 1:1,024. The data represent the inverse dilution.

^c9A, nine adenine residues owing to the substitution of A for T at the C-terminal end of agrA.