Molecular investigation of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the patients, personnel, air and environment of an ICU in a hospital in Tehran. Issue 2 (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mirzaii, Mehdi; Emaneini, Mohammad; Jabalameli, Fereshteh; Halimi, Shahnaz; Taherikalani, Morovat
• Is Part Of: Journal of infection and public health. Volume 8:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 202
• Page End: 206
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Nosocomial infections -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; 614.4
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2014.09.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1876-0341

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Summary</title> <sec> <title id="sect0010">Background</title> <p id="spar0005">The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> isolates from the patients, staff, air and environments of an ICU in a hospital in Tehran.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0015">Materials and methods</title> <p id="spar0010">During this study, 37 <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates were collected and analyzed via the <italic>spa</italic> typing method.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0020">Results</title> <p id="spar0015">Of the 37 <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates, 35 (94%) were methicillin resistant (MRSA), 28 (76%) were identified as SCC<italic>mec</italic> types III or IIIA, four (10%) were identified as SCC<italic>mec</italic> types I or IA and three (8%) were identified a SCC<italic>mec</italic> type IV. All of the MRSA isolates were resistant to oxacillin and contained <italic>mecA.</italic> The isolates were all <italic>spa</italic> typed and found to comprise 11 <italic>spa</italic> types, including t7688, t7689, and t7789, which have not previously been reported. The <italic>spa</italic> type t7688 was isolated from the hands of two ICU personnel. The <italic>spa</italic> type t7689 was observed among five isolates from the air and the environment. The <italic>spa</italic> type t7789 was observed among three isolates from the patients, ventilators and the air. The majority of the isolates (43%) belonged to <italic>spa</italic> types t030 and t037.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0025">Conclusion</title> <p id="spar0020">Our results revealed that MRSA strains that were isolated from the air, the environment of the ICU and the patients who were colonized or infected with MRSA often exhibited the same spa and SCC<italic>mec</italic> types. These results also reveal that the isolates from the patients and environment were usually indistinguishable.</p> </sec> </abstract>