Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus infection in neonates- a major concern and a call for action.

Background: Methicillin-Resistant Methodology: It was a prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study carried out from October 2018 to July 2019. A total of 248 term neonates with suspected sepsis were enrolled in the study and had their blood samples taken for investigations including blood culture. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility patterns were carried out using MicrobactTM24E (Oxiod UK) and Staph ID and modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique respectively. Results: Out of the 248 subjects enrolled in the study, 34.2% had proven sepsis, with Staphylococcus species accounting for 56.4% of these cases. Among those with staphylococcal sepsis, 56.3% were found to have MRSA infection. Notably, the majority (94.4%) of cases originated from outside the hospital, presenting as neonatal sepsis with non-specific clinical features. Sensitivity testing revealed that ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol were the most effective antibiotics against the identified pathogens. Conclusion: The presence of MRSA infections in neonates poses a critical public health threat. This trend underscores the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, potentially compromising treatment efficacy and jeopardizing neonatal well-being. Urgent and decisive measures are necessary to curb this trajectory.