APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica
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Multicenter Study
Molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance of clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus obtained from Southeast of Iran (Kerman).
Staphylococcus aureus infections, particularly infections caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, are emerging as a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of MRSA, antibiotic resistance profile and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type of MRSA isolates obtained from clinical samples. Totally, 162 S. aureus isolates were obtained from clinical samples at three university hospitals in Kerman, Iran from March 2011 to February 2012. ⋯ The pvl gene was detected in 3.08% of isolates (two MRSA and three MSSA isolates). REP-PCR typing divided the 92 MRSA isolates into 10 distinct clusters. Our results indicate that vancomycin and linezolid are the most effective antibacterial agents against MRSA isolates and SCCmec type III is predominant in MRSA strains in this area.