Molecular Investigation of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) Elements Isolated from Intensive Care Unit

Background and Aims:Based on the results,Staphylococcus aureusisone of the serious infectious agentsfoundin community and hospitals withremarkable potential forhigh morbidity and mortality around the globe. The present studywas carried out formolecular investigation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusstrains and StaphylococcalChromosomal Cassette mec(SCCmec)phenotypes isolated from the intensive care unit in Hazrat Fatemeh Zahra hospital of Isfahan. Materials and Methods:A total of 76 clinical wound samples were collected from Hazrat Fatemeh Zahra Hospitalin Isfahan and evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)methods. The Methicillin resistance Staphylococcusaureus(MRSA)screening was performed by genotypic and phenotypic methods; also antibiotic resistance pattern was determined by using the disk diffusion method and related genes by PCR.Results: Totally, 53 (69.7%) out of 76 clinical samples were positive for MRSA. Of the 76 MRSA strains, 39 (63.51%) were PVL positive (51.3%). The most commonly infected samples were collected from wounds(40.8%). The most commonly detected antibiotic resistance genes were mecA(89.61%), tetK(88.23%), tetM(49.15%)andmsrA(46.93%). Resultantly, it was shownthatMRSA has the highest levelof resistance against methicillin (98%), penicillin (97.24%), tetracycline (89.64%). It was also revealedthatthe most commonly detected SCCmectypes in the MRSA strains aretypesII(14.53%) and III (16.82%).Conclusions:In summary, this paper argues that theorderly surveillance of hospital-associated infections andinitial management and supervision of the antibiotic resistance patterns are required to control the prevalence of MRSA.