Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-associated infections are one of the major threats to public health. The aim of the present study was to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern as well as the genetic characterization of methicillin and vancomycin resistant S. aureus (VRSA) isolated from a tertiary care hospital in Lahore. The S. aureus isolates were isolated from different clinical samples, identified by biochemical testing, and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing via the disc diffusion method or broth microdilution method. The methicillin resistance gene (mecA) and vancomycin resistance gene (vanA) were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. The S. aureus isolates showed high incidences of resistance against methicillin (76%) and moderate incidences of resistance to vancomycin (14%). Isolates were also resistant to several other drugs, such as cefoxitin (76%), ertapenem (83%), ampicillin (81%), tobramycin (78%), moxifloxacin (76%), and tetracycline (74%). An encouraging finding was that 98% of isolates were susceptible to tigecycline, indicating its possible role in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and VRSA, as well as the multi-drug resistant S. aureus. The mecA gene was detected in 33.3% of tested isolates (10/30), while the vanA gene was also detected in 30% (9/30) of the tested isolates. In conclusion, the frequent presence of methicillin and vancomycin resistance in S. aureus appraises the cautious use of these antibiotics in clinical practices. Furthermore, it is suggested that there should be continuous monitoring of tigecycline treatments in clinical setups in order to delay the development of resistance against it.

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