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Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
14:04

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria

Published on: May 8, 2013

Evaluation of various methods for the detection of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and

Priya Datta1, Neelam Gulati1, Nidhi Singla1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College Hospital, Chandigarh, India.

Journal of Medical Microbiology
|July 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a growing threat. Cefoxitin disc diffusion is reliable for MRSA detection but should be combined with other methods to ensure accurate diagnosis of these difficult-to-treat infections.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant pathogen in healthcare and community settings.
  • MRSA infections are challenging to diagnose despite advancements.
  • India reports high isolation rates of MRSA, indicating an increasing trend.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of five phenotypic methods for detecting MRSA.
  • To evaluate diagnostic methods against the mecA gene detection (gold standard).

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic testing of 200 S. aureus isolates using oxacillin disc diffusion, cefoxitin disc diffusion, oxacillin screen agar, latex agglutination, and CHROMagar.
  • MecA gene detection via PCR as the gold standard.

Main Results:

  • MRSA accounted for 35% of all S. aureus infections studied.
  • Cefoxitin disc diffusion showed reliability, aligning with CLSI recommendations.
  • No single phenotypic method was perfect; combination testing is suggested.

Conclusions:

  • Cefoxitin disc diffusion is a reliable primary method for MRSA detection.
  • Supplementing cefoxitin disc diffusion with latex agglutination, CHROMagar, or oxacillin screen agar enhances MRSA detection accuracy.
  • Routine use of cefoxitin disc diffusion combined with another method, preferably latex agglutination, is recommended for hospitals.

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