mecA and PVL genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical specimens: a cross-sectional hospital based study from Nepal

Sirjana Adhikari; Supriya Sharma; Sanjib Adhikari; Sanjit Shrestha; Dwij Raj Bhatta

doi:10.18502/ijm.v17i1.17806

Sirjana Adhikari Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Supriya Sharma Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Sanjib Adhikari Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Sanjit Shrestha Department of Pathology, Kirtipur Hospital, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Dwij Raj Bhatta Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v17i1.17806

Keywords: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; MDR; mecA gene; PVL gene; Wound infection

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus has increasingly been associated with community and healthcare-as- sociated infections worldwide and contributes to treatment failures due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. We aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiotic suscep- tibility pattern of MRSA isolated from patients attending a burn center and to detect mecA and PVL genes among MRSA isolates.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted on 1950 clinical samples collected from hospital inpatients and outpatients of Kirtipur Hospital, which is a burn specialist hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Each sample underwent conventional cultural methods for bacterial isolates identification.

Results: Out of 1950 samples, 452 (23.2%) samples showed bacterial growth, of which 109 isolates (24.1%) were identified as Gram positive and 343 (75.9%) as Gram negative bacteria. Among the Gram positive bacteria, 53 (48.62%) were Staph- ylococcus aureus. Of the total S. aureus isolates, 40 (75.5%) were MRSA and 48 (90.6%) were MDR. Of the 40 MRSA isolates, 29 (72.5%) carried the mecA gene and 3 (7.5%) harbored PVL gene.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of MRSA in a burn unit underscores the need for more rigorous infection control practices that follow standard protocols to reduce MRSA transmission in both individuals and the hospital environment.