Testing of methicillin resistance by in vitro susceptibility and the presence of the mecA gene in clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates in Finland

Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
P KotilainenJ Vuopio-Varkila

Abstract

A total of 140 epidemiologically unrelated Staphylococcus aureus strains collected in Finland between 1983 and 1994 were sent to the reference laboratory with verified or suspected methicillin resistance. These strains and 37 S. aureus strains previously identified as methicillin-susceptible were retested using 5 different susceptibility test methods including agar screening, disc diffusion, growth around methicillin (25 micrograms) test strips and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations by an agar dilution method and E-test. The isolates were also analyzed for the presence of the mecA gene by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Based on in vitro susceptibility, 69 strains were identified as methicillin-resistant and were positive for the mecA gene in PCR, while 84 strains were methicillin-susceptible and negative for this gene. Susceptibility testing gave conflicting results for 24 (14%) strains. When the tests were repeated in triplicate for each isolate, discrepant results were still achieved with 18 of the 24 strains in at least 2 different tests. Thus, based on in vitro susceptibility, these strains could not be definitely classified as resistant or susceptible to methicillin. Yet 7 of them were positive for...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 1992·Journal of Clinical Microbiology·S UnalP L Skatrud
Jul 1, 1992·Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease·D F Brown
Oct 1, 1991·Journal of Clinical Microbiology·K MurakamiS Watanabe
Sep 1, 1990·Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy·G L Archer, E Pennell
Oct 1, 1986·Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy·E Tonin, A Tomasz

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