DETECTION OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) FROM ANIMAL AND HUMAN ORIGIN IN BANGLADESH BY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is defined by the presence of the mecA gene, which is considered to have been transferred horizontally from unknown bacterial species to S. aureus. The mecA gene which encodes an additional ?-lactam-resistant penicillin-binding protein (PBP), termed PBP-2a (PBP-2) with reduced binding affinity for ?-lactam compounds. We investigated distribution of the mecA gene in a total of 94 clinical strains of S. aureus isolated from both man and animal admitted in Bangladeshi medical hospital as well as Veterinary clinic. The mecA gene was detected by PCR in 25% of human clinical isolates of S. aureus, whereas not a single mecA gene was detected in animal isolates of S. aureus.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjvm.v9i2.13472