¹Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Pakistan; ²Qarshi Research International Labs, Haripur, Pakistan; ³Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: mubashirbangash@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to determine prevalence and analyze antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in two hospitals of District Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Staphylococcus strains (n = 434) comprising of 191 (44 %) MRSA and 243 (56 %) coagulase negative were isolated from different clinical samples and identified using conventional microbiological procedures. Majority of the isolates (15.55%) were identified from surgical ward followed by outdoor patient department (OPD, 14.70%). The percentage of MRSA in wound samples was highest (24.08 %) followed by pus samples (21.46 %) and vaginal swab (3.14 %). MRSA strains (n = 191) isolated from two hospitals of Kohat were resistant to amoxycillin (100%), followed by cefotaxime (76.43 %), ofloxacin (74 %), levofloxacin (70.15 %), erythromycin (69.10 %) and chloramphenicol (34.03 %). Highest sensitivity was found against vancomycin (99.55 %). A potentially alarming prevalence and multi drug resistance pattern found in MRSA isolates indicates major health concerns in remote district Kohat.

Key Words: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Susceptibility pattern, Kohat, Pakistan