Description
Staphylococcus aureus sometimes referred to as ?Staph? is a common bacterium found on the skin of healthy people. It is responsible for infections ranging from superficial to systemic. Staphylococcus aureus resistant to the antibiotic methicillin are referred to as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Initially staphylococcal infections were treated using penicillin. But over the years, resistance to penicillin developed, so methicillin was the next drug of choice. Unfortunately, certain strains (MRSA) have now developed resistance to methicillin also. Patients with breaks in their skin due to wounds, indwelling catheters or burns are those with certain risk of developing MRSA infection. Symptoms in serious cases may include fever, lethargy and headache. MRSA can cause UTI, pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome and even death. Spread of MRSA infections can be controlled to a great extent by maintaining personal hygiene after interaction with an MRSA infected person. Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were recognized in 1980s as a major clinical and epidemiological problem. MRSA strains were heterogeneous in their expression of resistance to b-lactam agents, in that large differences in the degree of resistance were seen among the individual cells in a population. The basis of methicillin-resistance is the production of an additional penicillin-binding protein mediated by the mec A gene, an additional gene found in methicillin- resistant Staphylococci. MeReSa Agar Base was developed to detect the presence of the mec A gene in S. aureus i.e. methicillin-resistant S. aureus.
