Phenotypic and genotypic investigation of methicillin resistant Staphylococci species isolated from children with sepsis in Egypt

Abstract

S TAPHYLOCOCCUS spp. has emerged as a major cause of sepsis. Methicillin resistance is a pattern of resistance which hinders the management of such infection. The aims of the present study were to isolate Staphylococci spp. from children with clinical signs and symptoms of sepsis at Mansoura University Children Hospital (MUCH), Egypt. Then to detect methicillin resistance Staphylococci (MRS) using primary screening test followed by molecular typing of the methicillin resistant Staphylococci isolates by multiplex PCR. MRS sepsis was diagnosed in a total 100 patient from February 2015, till February, 2016. 18 (18%) of isolates were identified as S. aureus and 82 (82%) of Staphylococci spp. were identified as coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS). S. hominis subsp. hominis was the commonest species of CoNS (32/ 82, 39%), followed by S. sciuri (9/82, 11%). the rate of Oxacillin resistance among all isolated Staphylococci strains was (100%) in both S. aureus and CoNS isolates.Among the 50 selected resistance species for multiplex PCR there 27 (54%) species had a single gene SCCmec type I or SCCmec type (II or III). While 13 (26%) isolates had both two genes (SCCmec type I + II or III) and 10 (2%) had no SCCmec genes. The spectrum of children with sepsis at Mansoura University Children Hospital (MUCH), confirmed the importance of pathogens such as Staphylococcus spp. Similar to other studies from the developing countries, CoNS species were the most common isolated pathogens in children with sepsis.