Most common mechanism for transfer of resistance in staphylococcus aureus is:

Transduction: It is the transfer of gene carrying resistance through the agency of a bacteriophage. The R foctor is taken up by the phage and delivered to another bacterium which it infects. Many Staph. aureus strains have acquired resistance by transduction. Ceain instances of penicillin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol resistance have been found to be phage mediated. ESSENTIALS OF MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY K.D.TRIPATHI SIXTH EDITION PAGE NO:671