Bacteriological and Molecular Detection of Staphylococcus Aureus and its Resistance to Methicillin among Specimens from Kirkuk Community

Abstract

Background: The nasal cavity is the main colonization site of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in human body. Nasal carriage may be a strong risk factor for some serious infection.

Methods: One thousand anterior nasal swabs were collected,700 from healthy adult individuals in Kirkuk university which include 100 swabs from science staff , 300 from science students , 150 swabs from medical and 150 swabs from nursing students and 300 from health care workers with other 50 clinical samples from burn and surgery wound patients in Azadi teaching hospital in Kirkuk city\Iraq the samples were collected by cotton swabs  and diagnosed by standard tests in addition to molecular diagnosis and mecA gene detection for the isolates.

Results :159 (22.7%)of isolates from community students and 91 (30.3%) from HCWs were recorded as S.aureus and 3(1.9%) with 4(4.4%) were identified as CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA respectively depending on the standard tests of S.aureus identification, According to the age (18-28) and (51-60) age group  were demonstrated the higher rate of S.aureus and MRSA carriage 181 (72.4) and 3  (1.2) respectively. According to sex the male 131 (52.4) and 3  (1.2) were recorded the higher range of S.aureus and MRSA carriage respectively. Also 50 clinical samples were collected by which 25 samples were from burn patients and 25 samples from surgery wound patients : the higher rate of S.aureus and MRSA isolates were from burn patients 13 (54.2%) and 11(45.8%) respectively.all S.aureus and  MRSA isolates were demonstrated high resistant towards beta-lactam antibiotics except oxacillin because in present study 10mg of oxacillin was used, while the isolates were recorded low resistant towards non beta-lactam antibiotics and all of them were sensitive towards ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. All the isolates (n = 20) molecularly diagnosed as S.aureus, also all of them expressed specific sequence gene of mecA gene that confirmed all the isolates were MRSA

Conclusions: The continuous monitoring of nasal S.aureus is needed to control MRSA-related infections