Molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from major hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The few studies that have reported the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Saudi Arabia have indicated that a diverse number of circulating MRSA strains have been detected in several major hospitals. Thus, this study was designed to track the presence of MRSA strains in major hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and perform comparative chromosomal DNA analysis of MRSA strains for epidemiological investigation using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Correlation of the PFGE types generated with microbiological and clinical data of the isolates was attempted.

Trends in antibiotic susceptibility patterns and epidemiology of MRSA isolates from several hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates with rapid development of resistance.

Methods: A total of 512 MRSA isolates were procured from 6 major hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and antibiotic susceptibilities and MICs were documented against several antibiotics and vancomycin. SPSS version 10 was used for statistical analysis.