Prevalance of vanA Gene in Vancomycine Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (VRSA) Isolated from Chicken and Turkey Meat in Tehran, Iran

Abstract Background and Objective: Staphylococcus aureus have been isolated frequently from the infection of blood, skin and soft tissue, and is one of the causative agents of food-borne illnesses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of vanA in raw meat samples in Tehran, Iran. Material and Methods: Totally, 119 samples of chicken and turkey raw meat were cultured for Staphylococcus aureus. The Resistance to vancomycin was determined and Van A Gene detected by PCR method. Results: twenty- nine strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated. Of these, 14 (48.5%) were fully resistant to vancomycin and six of them had van A gene. Conclusion: Given that a large number of the samples were infected to VRSA and diversity of quality in production and distribution of foods and meat, the results could be varied. To avoid the transmission of antibiotic resistance chain to human, we should pay attention to make regulation and health conditions in production and distribution. Keywords: Staphylococcus Aureus, Vancomycin Resistance, Van A, Turkey Raw Meat, Chicken