Frequency of MecA gene and Susceptibility Pattern in Airborne Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Different Hospitals in North of Jordan

Ismail Saadoun; Ibrahim Ali Al Tayyar; Ziad Elnasser; Qotaiba Ababneh

Authors

Ismail Saadoun Department of Applied Biology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Ibrahim Ali Al Tayyar Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Sebha University, Sebha, Libya
Ziad Elnasser Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Qotaiba Ababneh Department of Applied Biology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

Keywords:

Airborne, Antibiotic, MRSA, mecA gene

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is seen with increasing frequency in hospitals and considered as a major cause of hospital acquired infection. Our objective is to evaluate the presence of airborne MRSA in the operating theatres (OT), intensive care units (ICU) and nursery intensive care units (NICU) of six Hospitals, North of Jordan, their susceptibility to different antibiotics and their analysis for the presence of methicillin resistant gene (mecA) by PCR. Thirty four air samples of 100 liters volume/min were collected by a microbiological air sampler from the above units during the period June-December/2005. Air samples were impacted on trypticase soy agar (TSA) then incubated at 37 °C for 48 h. Each bacterial colony appeared on agar plates were sub-cultured on TSA or blood agar with incubation at 37 °C for 24-48 h, and then identified by standard methods. From all S. aureus, 17.2 % were identified as MRSA which comprised 5.8%, 3.9% and 7.5 % in the ICU, NICU and OT, respectively. MRSA isolates were remarkably susceptible (>80%) to each of amikacin, chloramphenicol, imipenem and rifampin. MRSA isolates were shown in all units with MIC value between 4 to >256μg/l in hospitals units. PCR analysis of 96.8 % MRSA isolates indicated the amplification of the mecA gene with size band of 220 bp.

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