Abstract

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Emerging infectious diseases especially with the coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) is becoming prevalent and alarming in our health institutions and as community acquired infections. This study aimed at isolating antibiotic resistant and methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci from various clinical sites of patients at different tertiary hospitals. 200 clinical samples were obtained using sterile cotton swabs and plated on freshly prepared nutrient and mannitol salt agar using standard microbiological procedures and biochemical identification. β-lactamase production and antimicrobial susceptibility test were carried out using standard microbial cells and CLSI standards. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay were performed on the antibiotic resistant isolates using the required PCR conditions of time and temperature and the appropriate reagent mixture. Analyzed samples yielded 77 Staphylococcus spp. with 12(15.6%) being coagulase-negative staphylococci, and 3 β-lactamase producing coagulase-negative staphylococci. The antibiotic resistant profile showed that 5 isolates of CoNS were methicillinresistant (MR) to oxacillin and other antibiotics while 7 isolates of CoNS were only resistant to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. Quantified mecA products in this study were expressed in 5 (100%) of 5 Methicillin Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (MRCoNS) isolates indicating an alarming trend in the emerging infectious coagulase negative staphylococci, while 3 of 5 MRCoNS expressed sea (enterotoxin) gene. This calls for urgent clinical attention to curtail the spread of this emerging infection either as a nosocomial or community-acquired infection.

Keywords: Coagulase negative staphylococci, antibiotic resistance, mecA genes, sea genes, emerging infectious disease