Prevalence and Characterization of Uropathogenic Virulence Genes in Staphylococcus saprophyticus Isolated from Women with Urinary Tract Infections in Baghdad, Iraq

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a considerable global concern and are among the most prevalent types of microbial infection globally. Young and sexually active women are disproportionately affected, with over 60% of females being diagnosed with UTIs at some point in their lives. Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a significant pathogen that causes UTIs in the community. The pathophysiology of coagulase-negative staphylococcal UTIs relies significantly on virulence factors and their expression. The main goal of the current investigation was to ascertain the occurrence of uropathogenic genes in S. saprophyticus isolated from urine samples of women who had suspected UTIs in Baghdad hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. The prevalence of S. saprophyticus in urine samples was identified with the microscopic patterns, cultural and biochemical characteristics, Vitek 2 Compact System and S. saprophyticus-specific primers. Nine virulence genes, including Ssp, UafA, Aas, sarA, sdrl, rot, dsdA, capD and agr were screened using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Out of the 300 samples, 31.66% harbored S. saprophyticus pathogens, confirmed by the existence of S. saprophyticus-specific primers in all isolates. The current data indicated that all isolates tested positive for the UafA, sarA, rot, and agr genes. Moreover, the results revealed that 94.74% of isolates tested carried the Aas gene, followed by Ssp (84.2%) and lastly dsdA (20%). However, SdrI and CapD genes were not detected in any of the isolates. These findings demonstrate that S. saprophyticus is a major contributor to UTIs in women in this specific region with the prevalence of certain virulence genes for this bacterium.