title: The epidemiology and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant staphylococci sampled from a healthy Jordanian population.
abstract: The prevalence of natural carriage and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS) isolates in a Jordanian community were investigated. The MRSA nasal carriage rate in 227 healthy volunteers was 7·5% and the majority (81%) of MRSA harboured the resistance element SCCmec type IVe and were of a novel spa type t9519 (76%); other significant spa gene types were t223 (14·7%) and t044 (5·9%). All MRSA isolates were susceptible to other classes of antibiotics, and tested positive for at least three virulence factor encoding genes, but only two harboured the pvl gene. MR-CoNS carriage was 54·2% and these isolates were characterized by single, double and untypable SCCmec elements, with Staphylococcus epidermidis SCCmec type IVa predominating. Of eight subjects with nasal co-colonization of MR-CoNS + MRSA, three shared SCCmec type IV in both groups of organisms. This is the first report of methicillin-resistant staphylococci carriage in a Jordanian community and its findings are important for epidemiological study and infection control measures of these organisms.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman-Jordan.
authors: A G
authors: AG
authors: Al-Bakri
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Al-Hadithi
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Kasabri
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Othman
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kriegeskorte
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Becker
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002353:Carrier State; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial