Detection of chromosomal cassette in MRSA Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated in a University Hospital in Maracaibo City
Sonia Coromoto Romero-Añez,
Maribel Josefina Castellano-González,
Armindo José Perozo Mena,
Gresleida Coromoto Rincón-Villalobos,
Diana Patricia Zabala-Romero
Affiliations
Sonia Coromoto Romero-Añez
Bacteriología General. Escuela de Bioanálisis. Universidad del Zulia-Venezuela
Maribel Josefina Castellano-González
Bacteriología General. Escuela de Bioanálisis. Universidad del Zulia-Venezuela
Armindo José Perozo Mena
Práctica Profesional de Bacteriología. Departamento de Microbiología. Escuela de Bioanálisis. Facultad de Medicina.
Universidad del Zulia. Centro de Referencia Bacteriológica Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo, Zulia. Venezuela.
Gresleida Coromoto Rincón-Villalobos
Bacteriología Clínica. Escuela de Bioanálisis. Universidad del Zulia-Venezuela
Diana Patricia Zabala-Romero
Escuela de Medicina. Universidad del Zulia-Venezuela
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is an important nosocomial and community pathogen. The genetic determinant of resistance is the mecA gene. 11 types of SCCmec have been described, with types II, III frequently found in hospital infections, and types IV and V in community infections. The present investigation was carried out to study the distribution of the SCCmec types and their relation with the Panton-Valentine Leucocidin, typified by the reaction in the Polymerase Chain. To this end, a total of 42 methicillin-resistant strains carrying the mecA gene were studied. Twenty-nine (29) strains showed the presence of type IV chromosomal cassette (69.05%); 30.95% presented SCCmec type I. A 61.95% (n= 13) of the strains were carriers of SCCmec IV, all of which were positive for the PVL gene. It is worth noting the dissemination of the type IV cassette in intrahospital strains carrying PVL, which is worrisome both for the therapeutic and for the aggravation of infections in patients.
