Effat Abbasi Montazeri - Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Sakineh Seyed-Mohammad
Aram Asarehzadegan Dezfuli - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Azar Dokht Khosravi - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Maryam Dastoorpoor - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Mitra Roointan - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

Background and Aim : Aims: The current study aimed to investigate the resistance patterns, and diversity of SCCmec types I, II, III, and IV in clinical methicillin resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS) isolates in Ahvaz, southwest of IranMethods : In this study, ۴۴ clinical isolates of MR-CoNS were identified using microbiological tests, cefoxitin disc method, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the mecA gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility was investigated by disc diffusion. The differentiation of CoNS species was performed by d sequencing of the tuf gene. Multiplex PCR method was done for the detection of SCCmec elements.Results : The Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus were the most predominant isolates with a prevalence of ۴۵.۴%. The highest resistance was observed against erythromycin (۸۴.۱%) and clindamycin (۷۵%). The most effective antibiotics were linezolid (۷۷.۳%) and quinupristin–dalfopristin (۶۳.۲%), respectively. The SCCmec type I was the predominant type (n = ۲۰, ۴۵.۵%), followed by type IV (n = ۴, ۹.۱%), type III (n = ۲, ۴.۵%) and type II (n = ۱, ۲.۳%). Six isolates had two types, III+ I (n = ۵, ۱۱.۴%) and IV+ III (n = ۱, ۲.۳%). Eleven (۲۵%) isolates showed no band for types I-IV and might had other types. The presence of SCCmec elements and resistance to antibiotics was not significantly associated (p-value> ۰.۰۵).Conclusion : Because of frequent occurrence of MR-CoNS harboring SCCmec type’s genes in Ahvaz, southwest of Iran, the periodical monitoring of their drug resistance pattern should be considered in regional stewardship programs for useful antibiotic prescription strategies.

SCCmec types , methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci, S. epidermidis