Conclusions
When compared to non-CRS controls, CRS-related S. aureus strains demonstrate increased carriage of virulence genes. This appears to facilitate intracellular localisation of the bacteria conferring a survival advantage and enhancing pathogenicity. The latter may be partly due to a reduction in enterotoxin production and the acquisition of serine proteases splA and B and leukocidins E/D genes. This pathogenicS. aureus phenotype may manifest clinically with disease recalcitrance and refractoriness to antibiotics.