The Relative of Spa Gene Types, Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the primary cause of nosocomial and animal, community-acquired infections. S. aureus is a common inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract. Molecular typing methods are vital for investigations of MRSA. The MRSA has significantly increased in Iraq. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of this bacteria and know the distribution of Spa type among antibiotics-resistant local isolates from different sources. A total of 150 samples were collected from three different sources: humans, animals and the environment. Among all these samples, 55 MRSA isolates were determined using the phenotypic method and the mecA gene. Antibiotic resistance profiles were screened using the disc diffusion method. Whereas Spa types were identified by using PCR technique and nucleotide sequencing analysis. The MRSA presence rates were 67.5%, 80 %, and 31.3% in bovine, human, and environmental sources, respectively. The highest sensitivity of MRSA was to vancomycin, and the lowest was to penicillin. Multi-drug resistance was found to be in all isolates. Molecular investigation showed that 100% of the tested MRSA isolates harboured a Spa gene; Spa gene typing assay reveals that the most repetitive spa type was t304, t8986, and t14870, which were reported in humans and animals, followed by type t 304 t14870 in environmental isolates. This study's findings could help identify the genetic variants responsible for the emergence and spread of these bacteria in the region.