Abstract
ObjectivePanton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a healthcare problem worldwide. There are no reports on the virulence characteristics of MRSA in Northern Cyprus (NC). This study aimed to determine the presence of pvl among MRSA isolates from patients admitted to a university hospital in NC using molecular methods. Fifty S. aureus strains were included in this study. BD Phoenix automated identification system was used for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Methicillin resistance was confirmed by disc diffusion assay. Presence of nuc and mecA genes was tested by multiplex PCR. Detection of pvl gene was performed by single-target PCR.ResultsOut of 50 S. aureus isolates identified as MRSA by BD Phoenix system, 3 were susceptible to cefoxitin with disc diffusion assay and were confirmed as methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). All isolates (n = 50, 100%) tested positive for the presence nuc gene and 68% (n = 34/50) were mecA positive. pvl was detected in 27.7% (n = 13/47) of the MRSA isolates. Among PVL-positive MRSA isolates, 69.2% (9/13) were inpatients. PVL-MRSA was more common in isolates from deep tracheal aspirate (30.8%, 4/13) and abscess/wound (23.1%, 3/13). This represents the first study of PVL presence among MRSA in hospital setting in NC.
Highlights
Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), is a major human pathogen which causes both hospital- and community-acquired infections worldwide [1]
Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-MRSA was more common in isolates from deep tracheal aspirate (30.8%, 4/13) and abscess/wound (23.1%, 3/13)
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pvl in MRSA clinical isolates from patients admitted to a university hospital in Northern Cyprus (NC) using molecular methods
Summary
Fifty S. aureus strains isolated from different isolation sites from patients admitted to various hospital departments were investigated in this study. The highest number of S. aureus cases were observed in Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine departments. Clinical samples were from collected from diverse patient body sites. Data suggested that the highest number of S. aureus cases were observed in samples isolated from abscess/ wound, followed by DTA and nasal swabs. Among the PVL-positive MRSA isolates 69.2% (9/13) were inpatients. PVL positivity was more common in MRSA isolated from DTA (30.8%, 4/13) and abscess/ wound (23.1%, 3/13).
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