Frequency of the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene in methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from teaching hospitals in Shiraz, Iran.

INTRODUCTION Staphylococcus aureus produces a range of virulence factors such as toxic shock syndrome toxin-1. METHODS In this cross-sectional study of 345 clinical S. aureus isolates, the presence of the tst gene was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS The study revealed 53/345 (15.4%) isolates were positive for the tst gene. The tst gene was present in 18.1% of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates and 11.6% of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates (p = 0.136). CONCLUSIONS These results reveal the remarkable risk of S. aureus infections in hospitals, regardless of methicillin-resistance status.