title: Evaluation of the mecA femB duplex polymerase chain reaction for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: This study systematically evaluated a recently described duplex polymerase chain reaction test for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with 25 different German epidemic strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 66 staphylococci other than methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including 17 different coagulase-negative staphylococcal species and subspecies, that were either oxacillin susceptible or oxacillin resistant. The results were compared with those of conventional cultural identification and susceptibility testing. Of the 91 isolates tested, all 25 confirmed strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were identified correctly. None of the remaining strains of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus was misidentified as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It was concluded that the duplex polymerase chain reaction appears to offer a time-saving and accurate method of detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grundmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Daschner
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Towner
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000235:genetics*; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C102928:FemB protein, Staphylococcus epidermidis; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase