NASAL CARRIAGE OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AMONG MEDICAL STAFF AT OMDURMAN TEACHING HOSPITAL

Hajir Mutasum Mohamed salh*1 , Wafa Ibrahim Elhag**2, Khalid Abd Alah Enan Osama Mohammed M.Khair***3

Hajir Mutasum Mohamed salh*1 , Wafa Ibrahim Elhag**2, Khalid Abd Alah Enan Osama Mohammed M.Khair***3 *1 M.Sc Student Microbiology Department of Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Al Neelain University, Sudan **2 Association Professor- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Al-Neelain University ***3 Department of Virology, Central laboratory Khartoum, Sudan

Abstract

Background: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus( MRSA) is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus which is resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus is an organism that colonizes mainly in the nose, skin folds, hairline, perineum and navel in human.
A patient becomes clinically infected if the organism invades the skin or deeper tissues and multiplies, other cases may remain subclinical. MRSA is prevalent in health care personal because their vulnerability to infection is higher than general population.
Methods: This was descriptive cross sectional study in which atotal of 200 nasal swabs were collected from medical staff, out of which 102 were from the nursing staff , 78were from clinical Staff and 20 from lab technician Sterile cotton swabs moistened with sterile saline were used for sample collection. Swabs were cultured on mannitol salt agar, incubated at 37OCfor 24 hrs. Staphylococcus aureus was identified by morphology, Gram stain, catalase test, coagulase test, and mannitol salt agar fermentation. Methicillin resistance was detected by Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. All methicillin-resistant isolates were examined for the existence of the mecA gene by conventional PCR.
Results: Of the 200 samples screened 33 (16.5%) isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were identified, out of which 10 (30.3%) were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) while 23 (69.7%) were methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA). The overall carriage rate of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in our study was the highest rate being seen among the nursing staff (51%) and clinical staff (39%) and laboratory technician (10%) were slightly less than nursing staff.
Conclusion: Our study revealed that nursing staff were the potential colonisers of methicillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus when compared to clinical staff.
In the present study about 5% of medical staff in Omdurman teaching hospital had methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Keywords: Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, Nasal carriage medical staff, Omdurman teaching hospital, PCR.