Molecular identification and characterization of mannitol-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Shittu, Adebayo; Lin, Johnson; Morrison, Donald

Abstract

We report on the isolation, molecular identification, and characterization of 5 mannitol-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from clinical samples in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. Identification based on phenotypic testing and polymerase chain reaction detection of the S. aureus species-specific nuc gene and the coagulase gene indicated that the mannitol-negative isolates were S. aureus. Furthermore, they were mecA positive, and SCCmec typing demonstrated that all the isolates harbored type IV SCCmec. API STAPH (Biomerieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France) misidentified 2 mannitol-negative MRSA that belonged to the major clone in KZN province, as Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Although the prevalence and mechanism of mannitol-negative MRSA is unknown, laboratories are encouraged to investigate S. aureus with atypical characteristics.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 9, 2006
• Online Publication Date: Jul 18, 2006
• Publication Date: 2007-01
• Deposit Date: May 1, 2020
• Journal: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
• Print ISSN: 0732-8893
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 57
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 93-95
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2006.05.004
• Keywords: Characterization; Mannitol-negative; MSRA
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2657696