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Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
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Analysis of antibiotic resistance patterns and detection of mecA gene in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from packaged

Farzaneh Shahraz1, Hasan Dadkhah, Ramin Khaksar

  • 1Department of Food Science and Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Science and Food Technology, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Meat Science
|December 14, 2011
PubMed

Insights

A study found Staphylococcus aureus in 25% of packaged hamburgers in Iran. High rates of antibiotic resistance were observed, with mecA gene detection confirming methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) presence.

Area of Science:

  • Food Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is a common foodborne pathogen.
  • Antibiotic resistance in S. aureus poses a significant public health threat.
  • Packaged hamburgers can be a vehicle for S. aureus transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of S. aureus in packaged hamburgers.
  • To analyze the antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated S. aureus strains.
  • To detect the mecA gene, indicative of methicillin resistance, using PCR.

Main Methods:

  • Standard disk-diffusion method for antibiotic susceptibility testing.
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique for mecA gene detection.
  • Analysis of 256 packaged hamburger samples from Iran-Tehran.

Main Results:

  • 25% of hamburger samples tested positive for S. aureus.
  • High resistance rates observed for methicillin (89%), vancomycin (26.6%), and erythromycin (20.3%).
  • The mecA gene was detected in 100% of methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates, showing high correlation with disk-diffusion results.

Conclusions:

  • Packaged hamburgers in Iran-Tehran are a potential source of S. aureus.
  • Widespread antibiotic resistance, particularly to methicillin, is a concern.
  • PCR detection of the mecA gene is a reliable method for identifying MRSA.

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