Electronic Journal of Biology

SCCmec Types in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains of Various Types of Milk

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of food-borne diseases with impact of antibiotic resistance. Milk and dairy products are considered as sources of MRSA. The current research was done to study the prevalence of SCCmec factors in the MRSA recovered from raw milk in Iran.

Methods and findings: Two-hundred milk samples were collected and immediately cultured. MRSA strains were isolated and subjected to PCR amplification. Sixty out of 200 (30%) raw milk samples were positive for MRSA. Bovine had the highest (20%) prevalence of MRSA, while caprine had the lowest (15%). Statistically substantial variance was found between the prevalence of MRSA and type of samples (P<0.05). SCCmec IVa (60%), SCCmec V (50%) and SCCmec IVb (25%) were the most frequently detected. Bovine and caprine milk samples had the highest and the most variable prevalence of SCCmec types.

Conclusion: MRSA are an important risk factor in dairy farms. Therefore, further studies are needed to find strategies for control of the presence of S. aureus and especially MRSA in dairy products.

Author(s):

Leila Khaji, Mohammad Hossein Sakhaei Shahreza

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