1Post Graduate Student, Department of Microbiology, FMHS, SGT University, Gurgaon, Haryana
2Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, FMHS, SGT University, Gurgaon, Haryana
3Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, FMHS, SGT University, Gurgaon, Haryana
4Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, FMHS, SGT University, Gurgaon, Haryana
*Corresponding author email id: shadan.akhtar@gmail.com
Online published on 10 April, 2017.
Staphylococcus aureus has been recognized as an important pathogens in human diseases. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been implicated in both community acquired and hospital acquired infections worldwide.
This study was conducted to compare the different phenotypic and genotypic method for detection of MRSAand to detect mecA gene for MRSA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
S. aureus isolates obtained from different specimens over the period of one year were included in this study. These isolates were tested for MRSA by different phenotypic methods, which includedcefoxitin disc diffusion, oxacillin screen agar and E-strip test as per CLSI (2015) guidelines. Conventional PCR was performed to detect mecA gene for MRSA.
250 isolates were obtained from various clinical specimens viz. urine 97 (38.8%), blood 79 (31.6%), pus 52 (20.8%), and others 22(8.8%). From 250 isolates of S. aureus 87(34.8%) were MRSA by cefoxitin disc diffusion and by E-strip method, whereas by oxacillin screen agar 93(37.2%) were detected as MRSA. mecA gene PCR was positive in all MRSA strains detected by cefoxitindisc diffusion but negative in six oxacillin screen agar positive strains.
This study reveals that cefoxitin disc diffusion is a good method for detection of MRSA but it should be supplemented with other screening method with high sensitivity and specificity.
Cefoxitin, Oxacillin, E-strip, mecA, MRSA
