PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ISOLATED FROM IN-PATIENTS IN SELECTED HOSPITALS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of serious infections in community and hospital settings (Lowry et al., 1998). Staphylococcus aureus, is a major human pathogen causing large variety of infections worldwide and predominates in surgical wound infections with prevalence rate ranging from 4.6% – 54.4% (Bannerman, 2003).
It is one of the species of the genus Staphylococcus. It is a Gram positive, non-motile, catalase positive, mostly coagulase positive, facultative anaerobe, involved in causing a number of diseases including boils, pustules, impetigo, osteomyelitis, mastitis, septicemia, meningitis, pneumonia and toxic shock syndrome,post operation wound infection, food borne intoxication and nosocomial bacteremia (Talaro and Talaro, 2002;Jun et al., 2004;Cheesbrough, 2006).
It is considered the most resistant of all non-spore forming pathogens, with well-developed capacities to withstand high salt concentrations (7.5 – 10%), extremes in pH and high temperatures up to 60oC for 60 minutes(Jun et al., 2004).
Staphylococcus aureus colonizes the skin and nasal carvities, it occurs in about 25-30% of healthy people. It is a versatile human pathogen responsible for nosocomial (HA) and community acquired (CA) infection, with clinical manifestation of superficial and systemic diseases, associated with high morbidity and mortality rates (Jun et al., 2004).
The unique characteristic of S. aureus is the production of virulence factors responsible for the establishment of staphylococcal diseases and propensity to develop resistance to multiple antibiotics (Jun et al., 2004).
Patients subjected to broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunosuppressive therapies have higher risk of infection by this microorganism (Prasad, 2014).
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is now endemic in health care facilities, with rates up to 15.0% in some health care settings (Fridkin et al., 1999). Also, recent reports describe MRSA carriage in persons in the community who do not have health care–associated risks. The increased incidence of MRSA has led to more frequent use of vancomycin, the drug commonly relied on for treating MRSA infections (Salgado et al., 2003).
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PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ISOLATED FROM IN-PATIENTS IN SELECTED HOSPITALS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE NIGERIA
