Prevalence and clonal lineages of biofilm-producing Staphylococcus aureus from clinical samples and healthcare workers at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study determined the frequency and molecular features of Staph y lo coccus aureus from 206 burn and wound patients (BWPs) as well as 94 healthcare workers (HCWs) at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Northern Nigeria. Nine (4.4%) and five (5.3%) samples from BWPs and HCWs were identified as S. aureus positive, respectively. Seven (50%) were mecA-positive (associated with SCCmec types IVa and V), while 35.7% presented a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. The S. aureus isolates belonged to 11 diverse spa types, including three new (t4539, t6043, t11694) and one singleton (t779), which were assigned to four clonal complexes. Two tst and three luk-F/S-PV carrying strains were identified. All the S. aureus isolates were moderate biofilm producers with diverse combinations of the icaABCD biofilm and icaR regulatory genes. The detection of genetically diverse S. aureus lineages and toxigenic strains highlights the need for improved surveillance of resistant and pathogenic strains in healthcare facilities.