[The Staphylococcus aureus carrier state among the workers of a machine-building plant].

120 workers of beet-harvesting combines plant and 120 students and teachers (control group) were examined for S. aureus carrying. In workers level of carrying on nasal and pharyngeal mucosa as well as on the skin of hands was 3-7 times as high as in members of control group. Number of carriers and quantity of microbial population on the skin of hands depended on the use of oils and emulsion in production process. Contact with oils favoured skin contamination while emulsions reduced bacterial colony. 36% of mechano-assembly shop workers and 10-12% of those employed at mechano-processing constitute the risk group which is likely to develop purulent skin diseases in microtraumas of hand and fingers.