Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening using real-time PCR has decreased in sensitivity due to the emergence of variant staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) types. We have designed and validated a novel SCCmec XI primer, which enables for the first time the rapid detection of mecC-harboring MRSA directly from nasopharyngeal swabs without prior cultivation.