Rapid detection of the methicillin-resistance gene, mecA, in coagulase-negative Staphylococci

Phenotypical methods are routinely used to detect methicillin resistance in Staphylococci. These methods are time-consuming and there are difficulties in detecting all resistant strains carrying the mecA gene. We detected met hicillin-resistant Staphylococci in biological samples by PCR amplification of mecA, without the time-consuming step of identifying a bacterial isolat e. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococci isolates were also detected by scree ning on agar supplemented with oxacillin. The biological samples were colle cted from the hands of 17 healthcare workers at the Department of Paediatri cs at the University Hospital of Tromso. mecA was amplified in 12 of the 17 samples. The gene was verified by DNA sequencing of the PCR amplicon. Usin g the phenotypical method, methicillin-resistant Staphylococci were isolate d from 6 of the samples. In all 6 of these samples, mecA was amplified by P CR. We conclude that PCR is a sensitive and specific method for detecting m ethicillin resistance in Staphylococci. The PCR detection of mecA is rapid, fairly simple and can easily be assimilated into the routines of a clinica l microbiological laboratory.