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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · J Lab Physicians 2017; 9(04): 239-242
DOI: 10.4103/0974-2727.214262
Original Article

Screening of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in healthcare workers and students and its susceptibility to mupirocin in a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India

Jutang Babat Ain Tiewsoh
Department of Microbiology, Fr. Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Meena Dias
Department of Microbiology, Fr. Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
› Author Affiliations Financial support and sponsorship Nil.
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus is the most common pathogen causing infection in hospitals. They also colonize the healthcare workers who serve as reservoir of infection. Emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a burning issue throughout the world contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Use of mupirocin to eradicate the carrier state is the need of the hour.

OBJECTIVES: To screen healthcare workers (HCWs) and medical students for MRSA and to know the susceptibility of mupirocin in this group.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 432 students, nursing staff, doctors and house-keeping staff were screened for MRSA for 4 months. The MRSA and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MRCoNS) isolates were then tested for mupirocin resistance.

RESULTS: Out of 432 samples, 24 (5.55%) were MRSA and 104 (24.07%) were MRCoNS. Only 4.16% (n = 1) showed high-level resistance to mupirocin among the MRSA isolates, while resistance among MRCoNS was higher at 6.7% (n = 7) for low-level resistance and 17.30% (n = 18) for high-level resistance.

CONCLUSION: MRSA colonization of HCWs may serve as a source of infection and mupirocin resistance should be screened for all whether working in Intensive Care Units or not and if detected, alternative treatment should be used which will result in appropriate use of this antibiotic for decolonization.

Key words

Healthcare workers - methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - mupirocin - Staphylococcus aureus


Publication History

Received: 16 December 2016

Accepted: 03 January 2017

Article published online:
19 February 2020

© 2017.

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.
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