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Detection and phenotypic characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical and community samples in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria


Ariom T O
Iroha I R
Moses I B
Iroha C S
Ude U I
Kalu A C

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to isolate and phenotypically characterize methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)from clinical and community samples in Abakaliki, Nigeria.
Methods: A total of 709 clinical (303) and community samples (406) samples were obtained for this study. MRSA isolates were detected using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method with the inclusion of 1 μg oxacillin and cefoxitin antibiotic disc. The isolates were screened for the β-lactamase production using nitrocefin sticks.
Results: A total of 44 MRSA isolates were obtained from the samples with prevalence frequency of 22.6 % and 20.8 % from clinical and community samples respectively. The clinical isolates were completely resistant (100 %) to ceftazidime, tetracycline and penicillin. Gentamicin and ciprofloxacin were the most effective antibiotics against the clinical and community isolates respectively with a susceptibility frequency of 63.2 % and 80 %. Exactly 38.1 % and 24.2 % of the clinical and community S. aureus isolates were positive for beta-lactamase production respectively. The HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA isolates had MARI values
within the range of 0.3 to 1.0.
Conclusion: This present findings of multi-drug resistance MRSA is very worrisome as it further highlights the pressing need to keep a strict watch on MRSA emerging from this study area.

Keywords: MRSA, beta-lactamase, antibiotics, multidrug resistance, clinical samples, community samples.


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eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905