Abstract

SALAZAR DE VEGAS, Elsa et al. Detection of the mecA gene in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from patients attended at the Autonomous Service Hospital “Antonio Patricio de Alcalá”, Cumaná, Sucre State. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2017, vol.37, n.2, pp.44-46. ISSN 1315-2556.

The percentages of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are high when compared with methicillin-sensitive (SAMS), both in hospitalized and community patients. With the purpose of detecting the mecA gene, 46 strains were studied, isolated from clinical samples of patients treated in the different medical services of the Autonomous University Hospital Service “Antonio Patricio de Alcalá”, Cumaná, Sucre State. According to the antimicrobial susceptibility tests, 38 (82.6%) were classified as MRSA and 8 (17.4%) as SAMS. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to oxacillin and the presence of the modified penicillin binding protein (PBP2a) and the detection of the mecA gene were determined by the polymerase chain reaction. The 93.5% of the strains were PBP2a positive, in 100% the mecA gene was detected and the MIC50 of oxacillin was 32 μg/mL. The implementation in microbiology laboratories of the detection of the mecA gene is recommended, both in strains of SAMR and SAMS, which should avoid erroneous results and, consequently, inadequate treatments in patients.

Keywords : mecA; methicillin resistant; Staphylococus aureus; PBP2a.

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