Objective: The objective of this study was to isolate and phenotypically characterize methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA)from clinical and community samples in Abakaliki, Nigeria.
Methods: A total of 709 clinical (303) and community samples (406) samples were obtained for this study. MRSA isolates were
detected using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method with the inclusion of 1 µg oxacillin and cefoxitin antibiotic disc. The isolates
were screened for the β-lactamase production using nitrocefin sticks.
Results: A total of 44 MRSA isolates were obtained from the samples with prevalence frequency of 22.6 % and 20.8 % from
clinical and community samples respectively. The clinical isolates were completely resistant (100 %) to ceftazidime, tetracycline
and penicillin. Gentamicin and ciprofloxacin were the most effective antibiotics against the clinical and community isolates
respectively with a susceptibility frequency of 63.2 % and 80 %. Exactly 38.1 % and 24.2 % of the clinical and community
S. aureus isolates were positive for beta-lactamase production respectively. The HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA isolates had MARI values within the range of 0.3 to 1.0.
Conclusion: This present findings of multi-drug resistance MRSA is very worrisome as it further highlights the pressing need
to keep a strict watch on MRSA emerging from this study area.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i2.26
Cite as: Ariom TO, Iroha IR, Moses IB, Iroha CS, Ude UI, Kalu AC. Detection and phenotypic characterization of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus from clinical and community samples in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Afri Health Sci.2019;19(2): 2026-2035. https://
dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i2.26 
