Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Its Current Scenario in Nepal - A Brief Review

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the species of gram-positive cocci arranged in cluster belonging to family Staphylococcaceae under which there are at least 40 species. It is non-spore forming, non-motile, facultative anaerobic, catalase positive, producing ‘golden yellow’ pigment and can grow in 10.0% sodium chloride. S. aureus is responsible for causing infections ranging from minor skin infections such as boils, impetigo to fatal necrotizing infections such as pneumonia, surgical site infection, necrotizing fasciitis, bacteremia with possible complications of endocarditis or severe sepsis infections. Methicillin, a semisynthetic and narrow-spectrum penicillin-derived drug, was introduced to treat penicillin-resistant S. aureus infection in 1959, however, just after one year of its introduction, it developed resistance in England in 1960. Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has now been reported all over the world. The first case of MRSA from Nepal was reported in 1990. Since then, many reports from different parts of Nepal have been reported some of them have also been confirmed by the detection of mecA gene. Coming to this point, this bacteria has developed resistance against various antibiotics and are termed as multidrug-resistance (MDR) making hard or impossible to treat its infections. MRSA has also been detected in among health care workers as well as inanimate materials and some animals. It is, therefore, important to implement the effective antibiotic policy along with regular surveillance of MRSA and VRSA is essential to contain MRSA infections.