<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Methicillin-resistant <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> (MRSA) is notorious as a hospital superbug and a problematic pathogen among communities. The incidence of MRSA has substantially increased over time in Iraq. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and <italic>spa</italic> types of MRSA isolates from outpatients or patients upon admission into hospitals. Various biochemical tests identified <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates, and then this identification was confirmed by PCR using species-specific 16S rRNA primer pairs. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined against methicillin, oxacillin, and vancomycin using the disk diffusion method. Vancomycin MIC was detected by VITEK 2 compact system. All the identified isolates were screened for the presence of <italic>mecA</italic> and lukS-PV-lukF-PV genes; 36 of them were subjected to <italic>spa</italic> typing-based PCR. Out of 290 clinical samples, 65 (22.4%) were <italic>S. aureus</italic>, of which 62 (95.4%) strains were resistant to oxacillin and methicillin. Except for two isolates, all MRSA isolates were <italic>mecA</italic> positive. One of the three MSSA isolates was <italic>mecA</italic> positive. Five strains were resistant to vancomycin. Fourteen (21.5%) isolates were positive for the presence of lukS-PV-lukF-PV genes. <italic>Spa</italic> typing of 36 <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates revealed eleven different <italic>spa</italic> types, t304 (30.3%), t307 (19.4%), t346 (8.3%), t044 (8.3%), t15595 (8.3%), t386 (5.5%), t5475 (5.5%), t17928 (2.8%), t14870 (2.8%), t021 (2.8%), and t024 (2.8%). These findings could be useful for assessing the genetic relatedness of strains in the region for epidemiological and monitoring purposes, which would be essential to limiting the spread of MRSA.</p></abstract>

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is notorious as a hospital superbug and a problematic pathogen among communities. The incidence of MRSA has substantially increased over time in Iraq. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and spa types of MRSA isolates from outpatients or patients upon admission into hospitals. Various biochemical tests identified S. aureus isolates, and then this identification was confirmed by PCR using species-specific 16S rRNA primer pairs. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined against methicillin, oxacillin, and vancomycin using the disk diffusion method. Vancomycin MIC was detected by VITEK 2 compact system. All the identified isolates were screened for the presence of mecA and lukS-PV-lukF-PV genes; 36 of them were subjected to spa typing-based PCR. Out of 290 clinical samples, 65 (22.4%) were S. aureus, of which 62 (95.4%) strains were resistant to oxacillin and methicillin. Except for two isolates, all MRSA isolates were mecA positive. One of the three MSSA isolates was mecA positive. Five strains were resistant to vancomycin. Fourteen (21.5%) isolates were positive for the presence of lukS-PV-lukF-PV genes. Spa typing of 36 S. aureus isolates revealed eleven different spa types, t304 (30.3%), t307 (19.4%), t346 (8.3%), t044 (8.3%), t15595 (8.3%), t386 (5.5%), t5475 (5.5%), t17928 (2.8%), t14870 (2.8%), t021 (2.8%), and t024 (2.8%). These findings could be useful for assessing the genetic relatedness of strains in the region for epidemiological and monitoring purposes, which would be essential to limiting the spread of MRSA.

<italic>Spa</italic> typing of <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> Isolated from Clinical Specimens from Outpatients in Iraq

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

 typing of  Isolated from Clinical Specimens from Outpatients in Iraq

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is notorious as a hospital superbug and a problematic pathogen among communities. The incidence of MRSA has...

Spa typing of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Clinical Specimens from Outpatients in Iraq

Article Category: original-paper

Published Online: Mar 19, 2021

Page range: 79 - 85

Received: Nov 17, 2020

Accepted: Jan 19, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2021-007

Keywords
Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin resistance, typing, PCR

© 2021 Khairallah A.S. Mohammed et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Spa typing of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Clinical Specimens from Outpatients in Iraq

Article Category: original-paper

Published Online: Mar 19, 2021

Page range: 79 - 85

Received: Nov 17, 2020

Accepted: Jan 19, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2021-007

KeywordsStaphylococcus aureus, methicillin resistance, typing, PCR

© 2021 Khairallah A.S. Mohammed et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin resistance, typing, PCR