Genotype distribution of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates in Iran: high multiresistant clonal complex 8

OBJECTIVE: Compared to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), there have been few studies focused on the molecular characterization of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). In this cross-sectional study, 85 MSSA isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, virulence genes analysis, accessory gene regulator (agr) typing, and S. aureus protein A locus (spa) typing. RESULTS: In present study, 9 different clonal complexes namely CC8-MSSA-t037 (22.4%), CC8-MSSA-t008 (11.8%), CC7-MSSA-t091 and CC30-MSSA-t021 (each 9.4%), CC8-MSSA-t037 (8.3%), CC398-MSSA-t034 (7.1%), CC22-MSSA-t005 (5.9%), CC5-MSSA-t002 and CC15-MSSA-t084 (each 4.7%), CC22-MSSA-t790 and CC59-MSSA-t437 (each 3.5%), CC22-MSSA-t1869, CC5-MSSA-t045, and CC45-MSSA-t015 (each 2.3%), CC30-MSSA-t318 and CC15-MSSA-t491 (each 1.2%) were found. agr types detected in tested strains were mainly type I (76.5%), II (12.9%), and III (10.6%). Of 85 MSSA examined isolates, 48 (56.5%) isolates were toxinogenic with 27 producing pvl (31.8%) and 21 tst (24.7%). The findings of the study show a high genetic diversity in MSSA strains warranting continued surveillance to provide critical insights into control and treatment of MSSA infections.