Prevalence of mecA Gene in Multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Cola nitida Varieties in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

MRSA infections are an increasingly concerning phenomenon and a major challenge in human and animal health. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from Cola nitida nuts. A total of 200 cola nuts, comprising 100 red and 100 white varieties, were included in the study. Bacteriological and biochemical methods were used to isolate and identify S. aureus on Baird-Parker agar, respectively. The resistance level of the S. aureus strains was determined by the disk diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar. The mecA gene, encoding methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), was detected by PCR. The contamination rate of the different kola nuts by S. aureus was 40.5%, with a prevalence of 37.0% (Cola nitida white) and 51% (Cola nitida white). S. aureus isolates from Cola nitida produced deoxyribonuclease (DNase) (69.1%) and coagulase (50.6%). These strains were resistant to oxacillin (43.2%), cefoxitin (41.6%), amoxicillin (28.8%), erythromycin (24.4%), ciprofloxacin (23.2%), vancomycin (21.1%), levofloxacin (17.7%), and tetracycline (16.5%). The overall prevalence of the mecA gene was 52.70% in S. aureus isolated from Cola nitida, with a sensitivity of 100% for cefoxitin and 58.1% for oxacillin. The presence of S. aureus and MRSA in kola nuts underscores the need for enhanced surveillance and improved hygiene practices to reduce the risk of epidemics.