n recent months, there has been considerable media interest in the new `killer bug' Panton-Valentine Leucocidin-producing Staphylococcus aureus. The death of a Royal Marine from overwhelming infection due to this organism prompted the chief medical officer to issue interim guidelines detailing the diagnosis and management of infection in this situation. This article outlines what Panton-Valentine Leucocidin-producing S. aureus can do, how it does it and how it can be managed.
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