Abstract
Objectives The purpose of the study was to investigate the molecular characteristics of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from clinical sources in Tripoli, Libya. Methods A total of 95 MRSA strains collected at the Tripoli medical Centre were investigated by spa typing and identification of the Panton–Valentine Leukocidin (pvl) genes. Results A total of 26 spa types were characterized and distributed among nine clonal complexes; CC5 (n = 32), CC80 (n = 18), CC8 (n = 17) and CC22 (n = 12) were the most prevalent clonal complexes. In total, 34% of the isolates were positive for PVL. Conclusions This study demonstrated the presence of CA-MRSA and pvl positive strains in hospital settings and underlines the importance of using molecular typing to investigate the epidemiology of MRSA. Preventative measures and surveillance systems are needed to control and minimize the spread of MRSA in the Libyan health care system.