Analysis of Virulence Potentials of Community Acquired Staphylococcus aureus, Isolated from a Slam Population of West Bengal, India

Abstract

–The worldwide spread of community acquired Staphylococcus aureus (CASA) skin infection is becoming an emerging problem. This study was conducted to delineate the virulence properties and characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from children belonging to low socio-economic classes in Midnapore town, West Bengal, India. Samples were collected from affected children by aseptic means from areas of infection with proper medical intervention. These samples were confirmed first as Staphylococcus aureus by PCR amplification of 16S rRNA. Further morphology, antibiotic susceptibility, capability of secreting several enzymes, biofilm forming abilities was studied. PCR was carried out for detection of the presence of enterotoxins (seA and seB), exfoliatin toxins (etA and etB) and toxic shock syndrome toxin (tssT) genes. Results reveal that 33% community acqured Staphylococcus aureus strains were methicillin resistant and 22% were vancomycin resistant and those strains were capable of biofilm formation. Besides, all of the pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains were harboring exfoliatin toxin gene (etA). So it can be concluded that inducible multidrug resistant community acquired Staphylococcus aureus with their diverse pathogenic toxic potentials giving emerging alarm in that geographical location in India. Keywords––Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome, Staphylococcal toxins, vancomycin, biofilm.