Detection of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus

A kit for detection of SCCmec in Staphylococcus aureus, the kit comprising:

• a) one or more detector probes, wherein the detector probes are selected from the group consisting of Dt1, Type III, Type V, Type 5, Type 4, Type 7, type 6, type 8,9, T1,2,4-Dt5, T1,2,4-Dt12, TypeIII-Dt2 and Type V-Dt4;
• b) one or more capture probes optionally attached to a support, wherein one capture probe is GenCP3;
• and
• c) one or more blocker probes, wherein the blocker probes are selected from the group consisting of B4A, B4B and B5.

A method of testing a sample for the presence or absence of SCCmec cassette DNA in DNA of Staphylococcus aureus, the method comprising:

• a) hybridizing the sample to one or more capture probes that hybridize to DNA of Staphylococcus aureus and one or more other species of staphylococci, the capture probes optionally attached to a support;
• b) hybridizing the sample to one or more blocker probes that hybridize to DNA of one or more other species of staphylococci;
• c) hybridizing the sample to one or more detector probes that hybridize to SCCmec cassette DNA;
• and
• d) detecting or not detecting each of the detector probes, thereby determining the presence or absence, respectively, of the SCCmec cassette DNA in the DNA of the Staphylococcus aureus.

A method of testing a sample for the presence or absence of SCCmec cassette DNA in DNA of a plurality of Staphylococcus species, the method comprising:

• a) hybridizing the sample to one or more capture probes that hybridize to DNA of a plurality of Staphylococcus species, the capture probes optionally attached to a support;
• b) hybridizing the sample to one or more blocker probes that hybridize to the DNA of one or more of the plurality of Staphylococcus species;
• c) hybridizing the sample to one or more detector probes that hybridize to SCCmec cassette DNA;
• and
• d) detecting or not detecting each of the detector probes, thereby determining the presence or absence, respectively, of the SCCmec cassette DNA in the DNA of the plurality of Staphylococcus species;
• wherein the detector probes, the capture probes and the blocker probes each comprise at least one monomer of an oligonucleotide mimic.

A probe set for detecting, identifying or quantitating methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or methicillin resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MRCNS) in a sample, comprising:

• a) at least one oligonucleotide or oligonucleotide mimic comprising a nucleobase sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:22;
• b) an oligonucleotide or oligonucleotide mimic comprising SEQ ID NO:5;
• and
• c) at least one oligonucleotide or oligonucleotide mimic comprising a nucleobase sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, and SEQ ID NO:16.