Molecular identification and characterization of mannitol-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

We report on the isolation, molecular identification, and characterization of 5 mannitol-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from clinical samples in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. Identification based on phenotypic testing and polymerase chain reaction detection of the S. aureus species-specific nuc gene and the coagulase gene indicated that the mannitol-negative isolates were S. aureus. Furthermore, they were mecA positive, and SCCmec typing demonstrated that all the isolates harbored type IV SCCmec. API STAPH (Biomerieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France) misidentified 2 mannitol-negative MRSA that belonged to the major clone in KZN province, as Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Although the prevalence and mechanism of mannitol-negative MRSA is unknown, laboratories are encouraged to investigate S. aureus with atypical characteristics.