NASAL CARRIAGE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN PHARMACIST AND PHARMACY PERSONNEL

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal carriage rates and risk factors in pharmacist and pharmacy personnel. Material and Method: 300 nasal swabs were collected from volunteers (pharmacist and pharmacy personnel) working in pharmacies in Ankara, Turkey. Samples were identified as S. aureus by phenotypic methods. Methicillin resistance of the strains was determined in accordance with the recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) by the disk diffusion method and the presence of the mecA gene was investigated by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).Volunteers were asked to answer some questions (age, sex etc.) and risk factors for nasal S.aureus carriage were investigated. Result and Discussion: S. aureus was detected in 64 (21.3%) of 300 samples, of which 4 (1.3%) were identified as Methicillin Resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). S. aureus carriage rates were found to be 25.7% in pharmacist and 20% in pharmacy personnel. There was no significant difference between these two groups (p>0.05). A significant difference was found between some risk factors (smoking, diabetes, and outpatient treatment in hospital within the past year) and nasal S.aureus carriage (p