Abstract:
Staphylococcus aureus remains an important pathogen worldwide. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRS A) colonization have increased and
caused serious invasive and life-threatening infections in young children. Nose and intestine are considered as important sites of colonization with S.
aureus. Molecular epidemiological studies are essential to understand the
genetic evolution, the pathogenesis and the dissemination of S. aureus in the
region. The study aimed at the epidemiological typing of S. aureus in Jordan. 103 S. aureus, 41 MRSA and 62 Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA),
isolated from Jordanian children were characterized using different typing methods including spa typing, staphylococcal chromosomal cassette
SCCmec typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and Pulsed -Field Gel
Electrophoresis (PFGE). The detection of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin
(PVL) and the distribution of SCCmec type I-VII were performed by
multiplex PCR assays. Isolates were 15% PVL positive, and were distributed over 63 nose and 40 stoo l specimens. PVL were detected in 30% of MRSA and 1.6% of MSSA. 48 different spa types were identified and c lu stered into different groups with the most common spa types being t044, t065, t223 and t386. SCCmec typing showed the prevalence oftypes IV (a, b, c, d, g, and h) (53%), IVe (22%) and I (15%). 13 alle lic profiles or STs were identified by
MLST and the major type was ST80 (17%) followed by ST30 (13%), ST22
(13%) and ST15 (13%). STSO-MRSA-IV which is disseminated in Europe, Asia and the Middle East was the major clone in this study. 75% of MRSA
harbor SCCmec IV which indicates that those infections in Jordanian children were most probably due to community-acquired MRSA (CAMRSA).
This study which showed great diversity between MRSA and MSSA is the first report characterizing S. aureus in Jordan using four molecular typing techniques. Systematic surveillance is required for isolates associated with both hospital- and community-acquired infections to limit
and contro l the spread of S. aureus. Future studies with larger number of samples from different countries are essential in order to better assess the
characterization of MRSA and MSSA in the region.
