Investigation of Biofilm Formation Among Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Children

[Background]The aim of the present study was to investigate biofilm formation among Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from children referring to a pediatric hospital in Tehran.[Methods]In total, 98 MRSA isolates were collected from children referring to a pediatric hospital during 2014 - 2015. All the isolates were confirmed to be MRSA using PCR amplification of the mecA gene. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion and E-test methods. In order to assess the ability of biofilm formation among the isolates, Congo red agar (CRA) and Microtiter Plate (Mtp) methods were used.[Results]All the isolates were found to be susceptible to linezolid and vancomycin and, likewise, the majority was susceptible to minocycline and rifampicin. CRA and Mtp methods showed that 81.6% and 63.3% of the MRSA isolates, respectively, were biofilm producers.[Conclusions]The early identification of S. aureus and detection of biofilm formation by the Mtp method are essential steps towards the prevention of the most serious nosocomial infections.