Genetic analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from a Nigerian hospital

Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated during 1985 and 1987 at a Nigerian hospital were compared by resistance profiles, plasmid analysis, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA. The results indicated that the isolates from the two periods were unrelated with regard to all three aspects. None of the isolates was similar to the classical MRSA nor to the epidemic MRSA of Australia or the UK. The MRSA isolated in 1985 had a similar plasmid to MRSA isolates from Singapore, but differed from them when compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.