The mecA gene, conferring oxacillin/methicillin resistance, occurs in coagulase negative species as well as Staphylococcus aureus. An assay that will specifically detect MRSA must ALSO detect a specific marker for S. aureus, such as the orfX gene. Since there are several variants of the mecA gene, the design of the primers and probes must also address and cover the variants of this gene that have been documented.
a) True
b) False