Prevalence of Exfoliative and Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin Genes in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Clinical Specimens in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Omar Bashir Ahmed *
Department of Environmental and Health Research, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umraa, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains possessing virulence genes encoding such toxins as exfoliative toxins (ETs), toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), is worrying, especially in relation to the increasing frequency of nosocomial infections. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of genes encoding ETs and TSST-1 in MRSA isolates by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that out of 88 investigated MRSA isolates, tst and etb toxin gene were found in 3 (3.4%) and 2 (2.3%) respectively, while none eta toxin genes were detected. It was concluded that the incidence of ET and TSST-1encoding genes among MRSA isolates in Makkah is lower or near to the global prevalence.
Keywords: MRSA, exfoliative toxins, toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, mecA