PREVALENCE OF NASAL CARRIAGE OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF OTORINOLARYNGOLOGY AND DENTISTRY IN KYIV, UKRAINE.

OBJECTIVE

The aim: To obtain the first estimates of the current prevalence of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the departments of Otorinolaryngology and Dentistry and to determine of genes virulence factors (Panton Valentine Leukocidine (PVL) genes).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: We performed a multicenter cross-sectional study. The susceptibility to antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. The virulence factor encoding genes, mecA, lukS-lukF, were detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

Results: Incidence rate of S. aureus nasal carriage among HCWs was 36.2%, whereas MRSA carriage was 17%. Prevalence of MRSA carriage rate was 34.9% in Otorhinolaryngology departments and 9.7% in Dentistry. PCR testing confirmed that all MRSA strains were mecA gene-positive. The virulence factor encoding genes were detected in 82.3% of the S. aureus isolates from HCWs. Among S.aureus, the lukS-lukF genes were detected in over 59% of the strains. The lukS-lukF genes were detected in 55.5% of MRSA and in 58.9% of MSSA strains. LukS-lukF genes were most commonly co-present in MRSA strains. No significant difference was detected between the occurrences of lukS-lukF genes (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: Personnell in otorhinolaryngology and dentistry departments have a high rate of nasal colonization of MRSA. This carrier state may be an important risk factor for transmission MRSA from physicians and nurses to patients and vice-versa. Screening for MRSA nasal carriage of HCWs is a key element in enabling infection control measures and early therapeutic decisions.