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Detection of Methicillin Resistance and Various Virulence Factors in Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from

Hatice Türk Dağı1, Duygu Fındık1, Gamze Demirel1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey.

Balkan Medical Journal
|July 14, 2015
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage was moderate in healthy students, with low rates of methicillin resistance. Most isolates carried staphylococcal enterotoxin genes, highlighting their prevalence in nasal carriers.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium found on skin and in nasal passages.
  • It can cause both localized and invasive infections.
  • S. aureus possesses numerous virulence factors contributing to its pathogenicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of methicillin resistance in S. aureus nasal isolates.
  • To investigate the frequency of various virulence factors in these isolates.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive study involving the collection of nasal samples from university students.
  • Identification of S. aureus using conventional methods and latex testing.
  • Antibiotic susceptibility testing, including methicillin resistance determination.
  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect mecA, nuc, pvl, and staphylococcal toxin genes.

Main Results:

  • S. aureus was isolated from 17.3% of 600 nasal samples.
  • A low frequency of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was observed (2.9%).
  • Nearly all isolates (97.1%) carried at least one staphylococcal enterotoxin gene, with seg being most common. The tst gene was found in 27.9% of isolates.

Conclusions:

  • Healthy students exhibited moderate S. aureus nasal carriage with a low prevalence of MRSA.
  • S. aureus isolates demonstrated a high frequency of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes and the tst gene.
  • The study provides valuable data for monitoring virulence gene prevalence in nasal S. aureus carriers.
Keywords:
Methicillin resistanceStaphylococcus aureusvirulence factors

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