Methicillin resistance, production of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 and types of enterotoxin, protease and coagulase at vaginal isolates of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

The vaginal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus, including strains that have methicillin resistance and production of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), enterotoxins and protease was studied in 308 women at the time of delivery. Thirty-six of these women were colonized with S. aureus in the vagina. All of the isolates were methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), except one women who had both methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and MSSA. The strains, included MRSA, did not elaborate the TSST-1 and produced protease. The distribution of protease pattern (types) observed by MSSA strains on standard methods caseinate agar plates was type A, 1 strain; type B, 15 strains; type C, 6 strains; type D, 14 strains. Sixteen of the 36 strains produced non of the enterotoxins and 20 strains produced enterotoxins and the type distribution was enterotoxin type A, 6 strains; type B, 10 strains; type C, 1 strain; A and B, 1 strain; A, B and C, 2 strains. These results provide the possibility of pathogenic S. aureus colonized in vagina transmit to neonates at the time of delivery.