The prevalence and antibiotic resistance methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) recovered from adult Urinary tract infections in Zakho City, Kurdistan-Iraq

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections in adults. The prevalent problem and emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among adult urinary tract pathogens has been recently reported. Thus, this study is undertaken to identify the MRSA along with their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern as well to detect mecA genes among out-patients adults diagnosed with UTIs in Zakho city, Kurdistan-Iraq. A total of 27 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were recovered from 330 urine samples with UTIs aged (18-60 years) and collected from Zakho General Teaching Hospital in Zakho City, between August 2021 and the end of February 2022. Antimicrobial sensitivity patterns were determined by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method as well all of these isolates were screened for the presence of nuc and mecA genes using polymerase chain reaction. The proportions of infected females (81%) were significantly higher than male and all these isolates were confirmed to presence both nuc and meca genes. Roughly all S.aureus were resistant to both cefixime and ampicillin and additionally, around ¾ of them were resistant to erythromycin, trimethoprim, methicillin, vancomycin, oxacillin, cloxacillin and cefotaxime. This study shows the prevalence of MRSA isolates from adult patients with suspected UTIs and imipenem was the most effective antibiotic (about 90%) against these S. aureus.