Purpose: To develop strategies for the control of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(HA-MRSA) which is a serious threat to burns patients with the aid of molecular studies.
Methods: Staphylococcus aureus strains were collected from the Burns Unit of Khyber Teaching
Hospital (KTH) Peshawar, Pakistan from July - December 2011. Antibiotic resistance was determined
according to the recommendations of Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI). Molecular
epidemiology of the
S. aureus strains were determined by pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
Results: PFGE identified 14 clusters which included 29 different pulso-types prevailing in the Burns
Unit. Of the 29 types, 11 contained two or more strains of the same pulso-type. These MRSA isolates
were highly resistant to various kinds of penicillin and cephalosporin (85 – 100 %). Among the important
anti-staphylococal agents tested, 17 % of the isolates were resistant to fusidic acid and linezolid. All the
54 strains were susceptible to vancomycin.
Conclusion: Several of the same pulso-types prevail in the Burns Unit of KTH. Furthermore, 29 pulsotypes
among the 54 strains suggest the diversity of the MRSA strains collected from burns patients.
