Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA Isolated from Wound Infected Patients at Federal Medical Center, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a clinically important human pathogen responsible for a wide range of community- and hospital-acquired infections, including wound infections. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from wound-infected patients attending the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional study design was used for this study, and 100 patients diagnosed with wound infection were recruited. Wound swab specimens were collected from infected patients during the study period and cultured using standard microbiological procedures. Isolates were identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics and Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the modified Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 25.0 package. Results: Among the 100 clinical specimens analyzed, a total of 70 (70%) positive isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated, of 70 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 54 (54%) were identified as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 16 (16%), were non-MRSA respectively. Generally, the isolates showed the highest resistance to Ampiclox and Amoxil and sensitive to gentamicin, norfloxacin, and Levofloxacin. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a significant prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA in wound infections This emphasizes the need for monitoring resistance patterns to guide effective treatment strategies in clinical settings.