Molecular detection of mecA gene in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dairy mastitis in Nineveh governorate, Iraq

Abstract

Staphylococcus (S.) aureus is universally the leading aetiologic cause of dairy mastitis. Additionally, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major pathogenic bacterium in veterinary medicine and public health. Sixty-six cattleʼs milk samples were collected randomly from different areas of the Nineveh Province from November 2018 to February 2020. In this study, the classical and molecular biology methods had used to identify the MRSA and detect the target genes. The results revealed that S. aureus was isolated and identified based on classical methods such as catalase, clumping factors, and coagulase test. In addition, the nuc gene was detected in all the positive S. aureus isolates 23 (34.8%), while the mecA gene was detected in 12 (52.2%) MRSA isolates by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The present work emerged that the results of classical methods and the PCR technique were similar. MRSA is regarded as a significant causative agent of various types of bovine mastitis in Iraq, and it can to resist all types of beta-lactams. MRSA isolated from different regions in Mosul city. PCR assay is a powerful method for detecting the different genes based on the target sequence of the specific gene.