Molecular Detection of mecA and mecC Genes in Urinary Staphylococcus aureus Isolates From Pregnant Women: Implications for Methicillin Resistance Screening

Authors: Lawani-Luwaji Ebidor, Abanum Jeffery Uche

Affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Amassoma. Nigeria

Corresponding Author: [email protected]

February 6, 2026

SIAR-Global Journal of Medicine & Pharmaceutical Review

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18504666

Molecular Detection of mecA and mecC Genes in Urinary Staphylococcus aureus Isolates From Pregnant Women: Implications for Methicillin Resistance Screening

Research Article Medicine

Abstract

Urinary tract infections are common during pregnancy and require careful antimicrobial selection to ensure foetal safety. The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus poses additional challenges, particularly in settings where routine phenotypic screening for methicillin resistance is limited. This study aimed to provide molecular data on the mecA and mecC genes in urinary Staphylococcus aureus isolates from pregnant women. A cross-sectional study was conducted over a two-month period among 67 pregnant women. Midstream urine samples were cultured using standard microbiological methods. Bacterial isolates were identified, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a routine multidisc panel that did not contain oxacillin or cefoxitin. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were further subjected to polymerase chain reaction to detect the mecA and mecC genes. Of the 67 urine samples analysed, 54 (80.6%) yielded significant bacterial growth. Staphylococcus saprophyticus was the most common isolate, accounting for 63.0%, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20.4%). Polymerase chain reaction analysis of S. aureus isolates revealed the mecA gene in 7 isolates (70.0%). The mecC gene was not detected in any isolate, while the remaining three isolates (30.0%) were negative for both genes. The study provides baseline molecular evidence of MecA-mediated methicillin resistance among urinary Staphylococcus aureus isolates from pregnant women. The findings highlight the clinical importance of incorporating oxacillin or cefoxitin into routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing panels for Staphylococcus aureus, as reliance on antibiotics that do not reliably detect methicillin resistance may lead to missed diagnoses with implications for patient management.

Keywords

Staphylococcus aureus, mecA, mecC, pregnancy, Urinary tract infections

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Lawani-Luwaji Ebidor, Abanum Jeffery Uche (2026). Molecular Detection of mecA and mecC Genes in Urinary Staphylococcus aureus Isolates From Pregnant Women: Implications for Methicillin Resistance Screening. SIAR-Global Journal of Medicine & Pharmaceutical Review, Vol. 2, No. 1. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18504666

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Molecular Detection of mecA and mecC Genes in Urinary Staphylococcus aureus Isolates From Pregnant Women: Implications for Methicillin Resistance Screening

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