title: Amplification of mecA gene in multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from hospital personnel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibiotic resistance is common among bacterial pathogens associated with both community acquired and nosocomial infections. In view of the present problem of drug resistance we investigated the prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and amplified the mecA gene in the isolates from the hand swabs of the hospital personnel.
  
  
  METHODS
  The nuc gene was amplified to characterize these isolates at species level. The S. aureus isolates were analyzed for their susceptibility to different classes of antibiotics using the disk diffusion method. The spot inoculation test was performed to detect methicillinase production in these isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the screened isolates of S. aureus, 14.2 and 15 kb of plasmids were present. These isolates showed pronounced resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics including second- and third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, macrolides and fluoroquinolone. Some of the isolates included in this study were resistant to three or more antibiotics. Expression of methicillinase was detected by spot inoculation test, and a few of the isolates were found to produce methicillinase. Moreover, mecA gene was also amplified. Of 17 isolates only 7 showed presence of mecA gene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the emerging trend of multiple drug resistance in S. aureus strains isolated from hospital personnel working in a premier hospital in North India.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. asad.k@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Asad U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sultan
authors.forename: Anju
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.forename: Shazia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zahoor
authors.forename: Mohd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akram
authors.forename: Sukhminderjit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Mohd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahid
authors.forename: Chetana V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Vaishnavi
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease / Q000235:genetics; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease