Pages: (71-80 )
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species are of global concern in healthcare institutions and community settings due to significant morbidity and mortality associated with its infections. This study was designed to evaluate resistance determinants (methicillin resistant, mecA; vancomycin, vanA and beta-lactamase, blaZ genes) in clinical and community isolates of Staphylococcus species. Phenotypic and molecular methods were used to determine the presence of these determinants as well as Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) status of isolates with mecA gene. One hundred and eight Staphylococcus species from clinical (55) and community (53) samples which were previously isolated in University of Ibadan and her teaching hospital and identified as S. epidermidis (92.6%), S. aureus (6.5%) and S. xylosus (0.9%) were used. Phenotypic resistance to methicillin was 72.7 and 62.3% while vancomycin was 32.7 and 3.8% in clinical and community isolates respectively. However, PCR results indicated that only clinical isolates (3.6%) were mecA positive and no vanA in all the isolates. The blaZ was found in 16.4% of clinical and 1.8% of community isolates. There was no PVL gene in the isolates with mecA. The results showed that methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus species were absent in the community isolates studied and its incidence was low in clinical isolates.
Keywords: Methicillin resistance; Staphylococcus species; vancomycin resistance,