• Fazli Bari

• Robina Wazir

• Mohammad Haroon

• Sardar Ali

• Imtiaz Ali

• Hazir Rahman

• Atta Ullah

• Aziz Marjan Khattak

• Muhammad Qasim

Abstract

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major public health problem worldwide especially in developing countries. There is continuous change in the prevalence of MRSA due to acquisition of mecA gene showing resistance to a group of antibiotics and leads to affect treatment strategies. Material & Methods: The present study was designed to investigate the recent trend in the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of MRSA. A total of 1283 clinical samples were collected at Lady Reading (LRH) Hospital, Peshawar from May, 2013 to December, 2013. All samples were immediately processed for isolation of MRSA using standard microbiological procedures. Results: Among all 1283 isolates, 957(74.6%) were confirmed phenotypically as MRSA. Gender wise prevalence showed that males were more affected than females. High prevalence of MRSA was observed in 437(45.6%) pus samples while least was in sputum samples (n=112; 11.7%). Similarly its frequency was high in surgical wards (n=489; 51.0%) and lowest in samples from outdoor patients (n=73; 7.6%). MRSA isolates showed high drug sensitivity (n=957; 100%) to Vancomycin, Teicoplanin and Linezolid. These MRSA isolates were found more resistant to Ciprofloxacin (n=747; 78.1%), followed by Fusidic acid (n=690; 72.2%), Chloramphinicol (n=631; 66%) and Clindamycin (n=575; 60.1%). Conclusion: The present study highlighted that MRSA is present in our hospitals with significantly high prevalence and drug resistance pattern. Strict surveillance, timely diagnosis and effective control measures are urgently needed to prevent its rapid spread.

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