SELENOK and infection: There was no significant difference in the numbers of virulence genes between MRSA and MSSA isolates (p = 0.09), but there was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the severity of the infection and the five virulence genes; map, hlgA, selk, selq, and cap8d. Map, selk, selq, hlgC, vwbp virulence genes were significantly associated with CC8 (p < 0.00005) but showed varied distribution within the CC.