16S RRNA-BASED IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PROFILING OF Staphylococcus aureus ISOLATED FROM WOMEN WITH URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS FROM KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ
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Staphylococcus aureus, Urinary Tract Infections, 16S rRNA, Antibiotic Resistance, MRSA
Abstract
Among women, urinary tract infections (UTIs) continue to be a significant health issue; Staphylococcus aureus is increasingly identified as a prominent but usually disregarded causal agent. This work examined the presence of S. aureus in female UTI patients and evaluated their antibiotic resistance patterns. The total sample consisted of 167 individuals, with ages ranging from 17 to 56 years (standard deviation = 8.38). Samples were collected from women living in Koysinjaq, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah cities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Among 29 isolates identified using phenotypic methods, 24 were confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing, closely linked to S. aureus strain S33 R. High degrees of resistance to ciprofloxacin (87.5%), erythromycin (83.3%), and cefoxitin (54.2%) were found in antibiotic sensitivity testing. By contrast, every isolate turned out to be sensitive to vancomycin. Moreover, in assessing vancomycin sensitivity, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing proved more accurate than the disc diffusion technique. The study highlights the high prevalence of MRSA and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in urinary tract infections, confirming 16S rRNA gene sequencing as an effective diagnostic tool and emphasizing the clinical significance of resistance patterns in guiding appropriate infection management.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ali A. Aziz, and Aqeel I. Gheni
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