Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: prevalence and antibiogram in a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of nosocomial and community infections. Its prevalence varies with country and with hospitals within a country. The current study estimates the prevalence of MRSA strains and investigates their antibiogram in western Nepal.

A total of 162 S. aureus strains were isolated from various clinical specimens, and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using disc diffusion, growth on oxacillin screen agar, and oxacillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).

One hundred and twelve (69.1%) strains were found to be MRSA, of which 37 (33.1%) were community acquired and 75 (66.9%) were hospital acquired. Of 112 MRSA strains, 45 (40.1%) were multi-drug resistant. All MRSA strains were found resistant to penicillin, and 91.9%, 87.4%, 77%, and 55.5% were resistant to amoxicillin, ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and cephalexin, respectively. However, low resistance was observed with amikacin (19%), ciprofloxacin (26.5%), and norfloxacin (30.6%). All strains were sensitive to vancomycin.

The reported rate of MRSA prevalence is alarming. Given the ability of MRSA to spread from person to person, it is necessary to adhere to rational use of antibiotics and to raise awareness among the concerned communities and tourists who visit this area.