Today Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have acquired multiple resistance to a wide range of antibiotics including aminoglycosides. So, this study was aimed to investigate the rate of aminoglycoside resistance and the frequency of aminoglycoside resistance mediated genes of aac(Ia)-2, aph(3)-IIIa and ant(4')-Ia among MRSA strains. A total of 467 staphylococci isolates were collected from various clinical samples. S. aureus strains were identified by standard culture and identification criteria and investigating of presence of 16S rRNA and nuc genes. Cefoxitin disk diffusion, and oxacillin-salt agar screening methods were used to detect the MRSA strains with subsequent molecular identification for the presence of mecA gene. Antibiotic susceptibility of MRSA strains against aminoglycoside antibiotics was evaluated by using agar disk diffusion method. Multiplex PCR for the presence of aac(Ia)-2, aph(3)-IIIa and ant(4')-Ia encoding genes for aminoglycosides were performed for MRSA strains. From total staphylococci tested isolates, 262 (56.1%) were identified as S. aureus, of which 161 (61.45%) were detected as MRSA and all comprised mecA gene. The resistance pattern of MRSA strains to aminoglycoside antibiotics were: gentamicin 136 (84.5%); amikacin 125 (77.6%); kanamycin 139 (86.3%); tobramycin 132 (82%); and neomycin 155 (96.3%). The frequency of aac(Ia)-2, aph(3)-IIIa, and ant(4')-Ia genes among MRSA strains, were 64%, 42% and 11.8% respectively. In conclusion, as MRSA strains are of great concern in human infections, the results of present study could provide a useful resource for health sectors for choosing appropriate antibiotics for the effective treatment of infections due to MRSA strains.

PURPOSE:To determine the genetic diversity of MDR P. aeruginosa strains isolated from burn and wound infections in Ahvaz, Iran, by ERIC-PCR. METHODS:From total 99 strains of P. aeruginosa defined as MDR by using drug susceptibility testing, 66 were subjected to ERIC-PCR analysis, comprises 53 strains isolated from burn infection, and 13 randomly selected strains from wound infection with higher resistance to combinations of more numbers of drugs. RESULTS:Eight clusters (I to VIII), and 50 single clones were generated for tested MDR isolates analyzed by ERIC-PCR. The high heterogeneity was observed among the isolates from burn infections including 16 isolates which were categorized in eight clusters and 37 single clones. The isolates in clusters II, III, VI, VIII showed 100% similarity. CONCLUSIONS:The high level of genotypic heterogeneity in P. aeruginosa strains demonstrated no genetic correlation between them. Extremely high drug resistance in isolates from burn, suggests that efficient control measures and proper antibiotic policy should be observed.