MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Staphylococcus aureus carriage among participants at the 13th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Nulens E, Gould I, MacKenzie F, Deplano A, Cookson B, Alp E, Bouza E, Voss A

Department of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen University Centre for Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre St. Radboud, 440 MMB, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The aim of this study was to measure the rate of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among attendees of the 13th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), particularly with regard to methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains. The 31.4% rate of Staphylococcus aureus colonization detected among the participants was in line with colonization rates reported previously for healthcare workers. A statistical difference was found between the rates of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in physicians (37.4%) and non-physicians (21.7%) but not between males (35.0%) and females (28.9%). Only one participant (a Belgian physician) was found to carry MRSA. Surprisingly, the rate of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus carriage was significantly higher among participants from countries with a low prevalence of MRSA.

Published 18 March 2005 in Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 24(2): 145-8.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 MRSA Research Today. All Rights Reserved.