Decreased colonization of newborn infants with Staphylococcus aureus 80/81: Cincinnati General Hospital, 1960-1972.

The changing pattern of colonization of newborn infants with Staphylococcus aureus was studied by examination of 25,662 nasal and umbilical cultures obtained at weekly intervals from 9,216 infants during 1960-1972. The frequency of colonization of infants in the newborn nursery with S. aureus 80/81 decreased significantly during 1963-1965 and has remained low since that time. This change in colonization was unrelated to the use of hexacholorophene for bathing infants or to changes in sensitivity to the commonly used systemic antibiotics, penicillin and kanamycin. A similar decrease occurred with S. aureus lysed by the group 2 phages, but this decrease rebounded to the earlier level after cessation of hexacholorphene use.