¹Medical Laboratory Techniques Program, Avrupa Vocational School, Kocaeli Health and Technology University, TR-34020 Zeytinburnu, İstanbul - TURKEY
²Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, TR-34320 Avcılar, İstanbul - TURKEY DOI : 10.9775/kvfd.2021.25370 Staphylococcus aureus is a microorganism that is highly resistant to environmental conditions and is widely found in environmental sources. It can cause a large number of infections in both humans and animals. Resistance to methicillin in S. aureus strains occurs due to the production of low affinity penicillin binding proteins (PBP2a). PBP2a is encoded by the mecA gene. The mecA gene is located on a mobile, large genetic element called the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). Until now, 13 SCCmec (I-XIII) types have been identified in S. aureus strains. In this study, in diff erent 7 regions (Marmara, Aegean, Central Anatolia, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia) of Turkey obtained from a variety of points of 700 food items in the [(dairy products (n:560), bakery products (n:89), ready meal (n:40), meat product (n:11)], after the isolation of cultural S. aureus and verification by PCR, MRSA detection and SCCmec typing were aimed. 67 (9.57%) S. aureus strains were isolated from 700 food samples analyzed within the scope of the study. Only 1 (0.14%) of the 67 S. aureus strains isolated, both phenotypically and genotypically, was found to be MRSA and when SCCmec was typed, it was found to be Type IV. Community-acquired MRSA strains can cause clinical cases ranging from skin infections to fatal pneumonia and sepsis, as well as foodborne diseases. As a result, it is considered that MRSA strains can be an important source of contamination for humans with the consumption of food of animal origin. Keywords : Staphylococcus aureus, Antibiotic Resistance, mecA, SCCmec, Food, Turkey