Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated in Iraq-wasit/Al-Suwaira hospital

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) that is resistant to methicillin has become a growing public health issue as a result of recent and outbreaks and reported fatalities, especially among people who have no recognized risk factors. It is the most virulent of the staphylococci species. It has a diverse set of virulence factors toxins, making it a frequent cause of toxin-mediated disorders. Further, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a leading source of both acute and chronic infections, and the ability of MRSA to adhere and form biofilms is a marker of increased virulence among MRSA isolates. To detect the resistance of local isolates to methicillin and other antibiotics, as well as to assess the utility of amplifying the mecA gene and its reliability in identifying MRSA strains. 100 samples were collected from different surgical sites and initially diagnosed based on their phenotypic characteristics in the hospital. Of the 100 samples, only 37 were positive, while 44 samples showed different types of bacteria. The other 19 samples did not show any bacterial growth. A standardized Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method employing the Muller-Hinton Agar plate technique and lethal inhibitory concentration by VITEC2 was performed on positive samples. Approximately %95 S. aureus isolates showed resistance to cefoxitin and methicillin. In comparison to other antibiotics, vancomycin showed a significantly higher level of inhibition of S. aureus. The diagnostic gene, 16srDNA, was used in this research to denote isolates belonging to S. aureus. All isolates were proven to be S. aureus, which included 35 resistant isolates and 2 sensitive isolates. These 35 isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to notice the presence of the mecA gen. In between 35 isolates, a sample was negative for the mecA gene, whereas 34 were positive.