Coagulase gene polymorphisms of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients at Kosti Teaching Hospital, Sudan

is a common cause of nosocomial infections. Epidemiological typing of enables control of its spread. The objective of this study was to investigate coagulase gene polymorphisms of isolated from patients at Kosti Hospital in Sudan. In total, 110 isolates were recovered from 110 patients who were enrolled in the study. strains were isolated on blood agar and MacConkey agar and then identified by conventional tests. Resistance to methicillin was determined by detection of the gene. Polymorphism in the coagulase gene ( ) was investigated using PCR followed by I RFLP analysis. Methicillin-resistant accounted for 62/110 (56 %) of the isolates. PCR of the gene showed two different amplicons, one of 680 bp detected in 83/110 (75.5 %) of the isolates and one of 790 bp detected in 27/110 (24.5 %). When digested with the I enzyme, the 790 bp amplicon resulted in three restriction fragments of 500, 210 and 80 bp ( 1). Restriction of the 680 bp amplicon gave two patterns; the first ( 2) was found in 22/110 (20 %) of the isolates and showed four fragments of 210, 210, 180 and 80 bp, and the second ( 3) was found in 61/110 (55.5 %) and revealed three fragments of 390, 210 and 80 bp. Most of the 3 isolates (75.4%) were methicillin-resistant. Three polymorphic genotypes of were identified in patients at Kosti Hospital. The 3 genotype was the predominant one and was mostly detected in methicillin-resistant isolates.