Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a frequent cause of serious infections worldwide. Emergence of new MRSA strains as public health threat has also recently been reported. Hundred and ninety-two Staphylococcus samples were isolated from El- Demerdash Hospital and Al Borg Laboratories from the period of January 2011 to July 2011, from different site of infection (blood, skin, urine {u2026}etc) , from male and female patients of varied age. Hundred and twelve isolates were identified as Staphylococcus aureus using conventional methods based on morphological and biochemical characteristics. Sensitivity of isolates to a range of antibiotics was also tested by disc diffusion method, which revealed the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of S.aureus isolates showing high resistance to Ampicillin (82.3%), Oxacillin (83.2%), Vancomycin (80.5%) and Methicillin (82%). MICs of different antibiotic classes were determined by agar diffusion method, results were varied to different antibiotics, where Penicillin and Ampicillin MICs ranged from resistant to borderline resistant isolates (512,62og/ml). We confirmed methicillin resistance using a PCR-based molecular approach, where 8 isolate harboured mecA gene and 4 isolates were Borderline Oxacillin resistant S. aureus (BORSA) isolates

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