mecA and PVL genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical specimens: a cross-sectional hospital based study from Nepal

Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus has increasingly been associated with community and healthcare-associated infections worldwide and contributes to treatment failures due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. We...

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Main Authors: Sirjana Adhikari, Supriya Sharma, Sanjib Adhikari, Sanjit Shrestha, Dwij Raj Bhatta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2025-02-01
Series:Iranian Journal of Microbiology
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Online Access:https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/5035
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Summary:Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus has increasingly been associated with community and healthcare-associated infections worldwide and contributes to treatment failures due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. We aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA isolated from patients attending a burn center and to detect mecA and PVL genes among MRSA isolates. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted on 1950 clinical samples collected from hospital inpatients and outpatients of Kirtipur Hospital, which is a burn specialist hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Each sample underwent conventional cultural methods for bacterial isolates identification. Results: Out of 1950 samples, 452 (23.2%) samples showed bacterial growth, of which 109 isolates (24.1%) were identified as Gram positive and 343 (75.9%) as Gram negative bacteria. Among the Gram positive bacteria, 53 (48.62%) were Staphylococcus aureus. Of the total S. aureus isolates, 40 (75.5%) were MRSA and 48 (90.6%) were MDR. Of the 40 MRSA isolates, 29 (72.5%) carried the mecA gene and 3 (7.5%) harbored PVL gene. Conclusion: The high prevalence of MRSA in a burn unit underscores the need for more rigorous infection control practices that follow standard protocols to reduce MRSA transmission in both individuals and the hospital environment.
ISSN:2008-3289
2008-4447