First Record of Isolation and Characterization of Methicillin ResistantStaphylococcus lugdunensisfrom Clinical Samples in Iraq

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the frequency ofStaphylococcus lugdunensisin different clinical samples. Out of 690 clinical samples, a total of 178 coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates were recovered. CoNS were identified as 10 different species; 22 isolates belonged toStaphylococcus lugdunensis. Two specific genes forS. lugdunensiswere used (tanAgene andfblgene) to confirm identification. Both of these specific genes were detected in 15 (68.1%) of 22 isolates that were identified phenotypically. The results of oxacillin MIC showed that 7 of the 15 (46.6%)S. lugdunensisisolates were oxacillin resistant. The antibiotic susceptibility testing against 16 antibiotics showed that resistance rates were variable towards these antibiotics. Eight of fifteenS. lugdunensisisolates (53.3%) wereβ-lactamase producer. Results of molecular detection ofmecAgene found thatmecAgene was detected in 6 (40%) of 15S. lugdunensis. All of these 6 isolates (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6) were resistant to oxacillin. One isolate (S7) was resistant to oxacillin butmecAwas not detected in this isolate. This study is a first record of isolation and characterization of methicillin resistantS. lugdunensis(MRSL) from clinical samples in Iraq.