Detection of chromosomal cassette in MRSA Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated in a University Hospital in Maracaibo City

• Main Authors: Sonia Coromoto Romero-Añez, Maribel Josefina Castellano-González, Armindo José Perozo Mena, Gresleida Coromoto Rincón-Villalobos, Diana Patricia Zabala-Romero
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Zulia,Facultad de Medicina,Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Tropicales 2018
• Subjects: Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina; técnicas de tipificación bacteriana; factores de virulencia; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Valentine
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/6824696f9979497385788108f1f4f5af

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is an important nosocomial and community pathogen. The genetic determinant of resistance is the mecA gene. 11 types of SCCmec have been described, with types II, III frequently found in hospital infections, and types IV and V in community infections. The present investigation was carried out to study the distribution of the SCCmec types and their relation with the Panton-Valentine Leucocidin, typified by the reaction in the Polymerase Chain. To this end, a total of 42 methicillin-resistant strains carrying the mecA gene were studied. Twenty-nine (29) strains showed the presence of type IV chromosomal cassette (69.05%); 30.95% presented SCCmec type I. A 61.95% (n= 13) of the strains were carriers of SCCmec IV, all of which were positive for the PVL gene. It is worth noting the dissemination of the type IV cassette in intrahospital strains carrying PVL, which is worrisome both for the therapeutic and for the aggravation of infections in patients.