Evaluation of a duplex real-time PCR assay to detect MRSA from broth culture, human sera seeded with MRSA and from patient's serum.

The need for rapid methods in order to precisely detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is extensively acknowledged. This study evaluated a quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting mecA (encoding high level resistance to methicillin) and femB (a specific genomic marker for S. aureus) genes to detect MRSA from broth culture, from serum seeded with MRSA and straight from the patient's serum.