Nasal carriage and methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in patients and hospital staff in a tertiary referral center setting

The prevalence of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were studied from June 2006 - 2007 among in patients and hospital staff in a tertiary referral center setting in Ankara, Turkey. Methicillin resistance was evaluated by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Of 438 people, 106 (24.2%) were nasal carriers of S. aureus. The prevalence of nasal carriers for S. aureus were not significantly different between the hospital staff, in-patients and out-patients (p>0.05). The overall prevalence of MRSA was 23.6%. The prevalence of MRSA carrier hospital staffs and in-patients was not significantly different (p>0.05). However, the prevalence of MRSA was higher in the medical staffs and in-patients compared to out-patients (p<0.01). The prevalence of nasal carriers is higher in the hospital staff and in-patients compared to out-patients. Therefore, even a tertiary referral hospital can be the source of methicillin resistance as well as transmission of the resistance.