Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy
Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a cause of life-threatening infections that are difficult to treat because of resistance to several antibiotics. Most documented MRSA infections are acquired nosocomially or among community with frequent contact with health fac...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | Antibiotics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/7/949 |
| _version_ | 1827598194312216576 |
|---|---|
| author | Luca Scapoli Annalisa Palmieri Agnese Pellati Francesco Carinci Dorina Lauritano Claudio Arcuri Luigi Baggi Roberto Gatto Marcella Martinelli |
| author_facet | Luca Scapoli Annalisa Palmieri Agnese Pellati Francesco Carinci Dorina Lauritano Claudio Arcuri Luigi Baggi Roberto Gatto Marcella Martinelli |
| author_sort | Luca Scapoli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a cause of life-threatening infections that are difficult to treat because of resistance to several antibiotics. Most documented MRSA infections are acquired nosocomially or among community with frequent contact with health facilities. However, an increasing attention to community acquired MRSA strains appears justified. A population of Central Italy was investigated for the presence of <i>S. aureus</i> and for the methicillin-resistance determinant <i>mec-A</i> gene. Exclusion was due to systemic diseases, pathologies or therapies inducing systemic immunosuppression, facial trauma or poor oral hygiene. Throat swabs obtained from 861 randomly selected participants were tested for the presence of DNA sequences of <i>S. aureus</i> and the <i>mec-A</i> gene by real-time PCR. The DNA of <i>S. aureus</i> was detected in 199 specimens (23.1%), while the <i>mec-A</i> gene was detected in 27 samples (3.1%). The prevalence of patients carrying methicillin-resistant strains was higher in younger and older strata. The prevalence of <i>mec-A</i> among <i>S. aureus</i> positive samples was 7.5%. Our data confirm that <i>S. aureus</i> and methicillin-resistant strains are common in the throat of the general population of Central Italy. Although the PCR methods used in this study are different from traditional culture-based approaches, the observed prevalence was consistent to those observed in Italians and other populations. Considering that carriers have a higher risk to develop post surgically life-threatening infections, it is worth evaluating a preventive approach based on rapid PCR screening of incoming patients to reduce the risk of developing health-care-associated infections. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:46:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14347d050ddf401394068f3e9272d00c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:46:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj.art-14347d050ddf401394068f3e9272d00c2023-12-03T14:32:58ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822022-07-0111794910.3390/antibiotics11070949Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central ItalyLuca Scapoli0Annalisa Palmieri1Agnese Pellati2Francesco Carinci3Dorina Lauritano4Claudio Arcuri5Luigi Baggi6Roberto Gatto7Marcella Martinelli8Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00113 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00113 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyMethicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a cause of life-threatening infections that are difficult to treat because of resistance to several antibiotics. Most documented MRSA infections are acquired nosocomially or among community with frequent contact with health facilities. However, an increasing attention to community acquired MRSA strains appears justified. A population of Central Italy was investigated for the presence of <i>S. aureus</i> and for the methicillin-resistance determinant <i>mec-A</i> gene. Exclusion was due to systemic diseases, pathologies or therapies inducing systemic immunosuppression, facial trauma or poor oral hygiene. Throat swabs obtained from 861 randomly selected participants were tested for the presence of DNA sequences of <i>S. aureus</i> and the <i>mec-A</i> gene by real-time PCR. The DNA of <i>S. aureus</i> was detected in 199 specimens (23.1%), while the <i>mec-A</i> gene was detected in 27 samples (3.1%). The prevalence of patients carrying methicillin-resistant strains was higher in younger and older strata. The prevalence of <i>mec-A</i> among <i>S. aureus</i> positive samples was 7.5%. Our data confirm that <i>S. aureus</i> and methicillin-resistant strains are common in the throat of the general population of Central Italy. Although the PCR methods used in this study are different from traditional culture-based approaches, the observed prevalence was consistent to those observed in Italians and other populations. Considering that carriers have a higher risk to develop post surgically life-threatening infections, it is worth evaluating a preventive approach based on rapid PCR screening of incoming patients to reduce the risk of developing health-care-associated infections.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/7/949methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)antibiotics<i>mec-A</i> genereal-time PCRnon-hospitalized populationCentral Italy |
| spellingShingle | Luca Scapoli Annalisa Palmieri Agnese Pellati Francesco Carinci Dorina Lauritano Claudio Arcuri Luigi Baggi Roberto Gatto Marcella Martinelli Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy Antibiotics methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) antibiotics <i>mec-A</i> gene real-time PCR non-hospitalized population Central Italy |
| title | Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy |
| title_full | Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy |
| title_short | Prevalence of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>mec-A</i> Cassette in the Throat of Non-Hospitalized Individuals Randomly Selected in Central Italy |
| title_sort | prevalence of i staphylococcus aureus i and i mec a i cassette in the throat of non hospitalized individuals randomly selected in central italy |
| topic | methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) antibiotics <i>mec-A</i> gene real-time PCR non-hospitalized population Central Italy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/7/949 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lucascapoli prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT annalisapalmieri prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT agnesepellati prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT francescocarinci prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT dorinalauritano prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT claudioarcuri prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT luigibaggi prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT robertogatto prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly AT marcellamartinelli prevalenceofistaphylococcusaureusiandimecaicassetteinthethroatofnonhospitalizedindividualsrandomlyselectedincentralitaly |