Caracterização fenotípica, susceptibilidade a antimicrobianos e pesquisa do gene mecA em linhagens de Stahylococcus coagulase negativo recuperadas de resíduos dos serviços de saúde

Abstract

It is accepted that health-care waste may act as vehicle for spreading potentially pathogenic microorganisms and their genetic resistance markers. Thus, considering the risks for human and environmental health associated with the phenomenon of microbial drug resistance, our objectives were to identify Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) strains isolated from the sanitary landfill disposal of healthcare waste of Juiz de Fora, MG; to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns against antimicrobials of clinical and microbiological relevance; and to evaluate the occurrence of mecA gene. Bacterial strains presumptively characterized as CoNS (n= 109) were identified using a commercial system and the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns determined by the agar dilution technique, according to the recommendations of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Only 26.6% of the bacterial samples were identified as follows: S. sciuri (31%), S. epidermidis (27.6%), S. lentus (20.7%), S. vitulinus (10.3%) S. saprophyticus (6.9%), S. haemolyticus (3.5%). The other strains were identified as Staphylococcus spp. (73.4%). Considering the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the antimicrobials, penicillin and oxacillin drugs were the less effective drugs (61.4% resistance) followed by erythromycin and azithromycin (27.3 and 22.7% resistance, respectively). The most effective antimicrobials were gentamicin and levofloxacin, for which only intermediate resistance was observed (21.6 and 1.1% respectively). All samples were susceptible to vancomycin. Considering the resistant strains, 14 (25,9%) showed to harbour mecA gene and in 40 (74,1%) were resistant to oxacillin by other mechanisms. Our results raise considerations related to the survival of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and strains resistant to antibiotics harboring genetic markers. It is possible that these bacteria might spread via health-care waste, contributing dissemination into hospitals.