Characterization of Five Types of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosomal mec Genes in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Isolates from Iraqi Patients

Abstract

The distribution of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosomal mec (SCCmec) types I, II, III, IV and V was assessed in 137 methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) isolates obtained from patients from different hospitals in Baghdad city. Each types responsible for certain virulence factors. It was found that 38 (27.73%) isolates of MRSA out of 137 contained SCCmecI, the lest percentage of SCCmec types in all MRSA isolates was type II, It was found that 8 (5.83%) isolates only were positive in this type. While 22 isolates (16.05%) contain SCCmec III. The number of isolates detected in SCCmec type IV were 53 (38.68%) isolates out of 137 while 86 (62.77%) for type V which represented the highest percentage with contrast with other types.