*Corresponding author: Sanjeev Dimri, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences, Hapur, U.P., India. Tel: +91 9958322747, E-mail: sdimri1966@yahoo.co.in
The aim of the study was to determine the nasal carriage rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among health-care workers in our institute.
The study was conducted on 208health-care workers. The specimen was obtained by rotating the sterile cotton swabs gently for five times on both anterior nares and immediately transported to the laboratory. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated by conventional culture methods and identified by conventional biochemical methods.
Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus isolates was determined by Kirby-Bauer's disc diffusion method using Cefoxitin (30 μg) disc according to CLSI guidelines.
A total of 48 MRSA strains were isolated from 208 health-care workers. In our study, nasal carriage rate of MRSA was found to be 23.07% with highest rates in males (62.50%), nurses (45.88%), and in age group of 18–30 years (56.74%).
The present study indicates a moderately high nasal carriage rate (23.07%) of MRSA. Health-care workers in the hospital should be regularly screened for nasal carriage of MRSA as it increases the chances of transmission of the organism to the patients during patient care.
MRSA, Anterior Nares, Cefoxitin, Health-Care Worker, Mupirocin
