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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2170-2173, Vol. 38, No. 6
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Three Rapid Methods for Detection of Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

L. Louie,* S. O. Matsumura, E. Choi, M. Louie, and A. E. Simor

Department of Microbiology, SD Laboratory Services, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada

Received 24 November 1999/Returned for modification 10 February 2000/Accepted 6 March 2000

The probe-based Velogene Rapid MRSA Identification Assay (ID Biomedical Corp., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) and the latex agglutination MRSA-Screen (Denka Seiken Co., Tokyo, Japan) were evaluated for their ability to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and to distinguish strains of MRSA from borderline oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (BORSA; mecA-negative, oxacillin MICs of 2 to 8 µg/ml). The Velogene is a 90-min assay using a chimeric probe to detect the mecA gene. MRSA-Screen is a 15-min latex agglutination test with penicillin-binding protein 2a antibody-sensitized latex particles. We compared these assays with the BBL Crystal MRSA ID System (Becton Dickinson, Cockeysville, Md.) and with PCR for mecA gene detection. A total of 397 clinical isolates of S. aureus were tested, consisting of 164 methicillin-susceptible strains, 197 MRSA strains, and 37 BORSA strains. All assays performed well for the identification of MRSA with sensitivities and specificities for Velogene, MRSA-Screen, and BBL Crystal MRSA ID of 98.5 and 100%, 98.5 and 100%, and 98.5 and 98%, respectively. Three MRSA strains were not correctly identified by each of the Velogene and MRSA-Screen assays, but repeat testing with a larger inoculum resolved the discrepancies. The BBL Crystal MRSA ID test misclassified four BORSA strains as MRSA. Both the Velogene and the MRSA-Screen assays are easy to perform, can accurately differentiate BORSA isolates from MRSA isolates, and provide a rapid alternative for the detection of methicillin resistance in S. aureus in clinical laboratories, especially when mecA PCR gene detection is unavailable.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, B121-2075 Bayview Ave., North York, Ontario, Canada M4N 3M5. Phone: 416-480-4242. Fax: 416-480-6845. E-mail: llouie{at}srcl.sunnybrook.utoronto.ca.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2170-2173, Vol. 38, No. 6
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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