Molecular epidemiology
and associated risk factors of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among health
care workers in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
Manickam Sadhasivam, Raju Amutha and Sikkandar Shahitha
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(8); 187-196;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/208rjbt1870196; (2025)
Abstract
Commonly Staphylococcal aureus causes infections in children or hospitalized patients.
They continue to suffer, in spite of giving antibiotic treatment and have long been
recognized as a major health issue. In contemporary times, most of the superficial
and systemic infections are attributable to methicillin-resistant and multi-drug
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA), posing significant challenges for clinicians
in managing their treatment. Healthcare workers are one of the major reservoirs
of S. aureus. Screening of nasal carriers among healthcare workers is an important
component in controlling and in prevention. A cross-sectional study involving 217
healthcare workers including physicians, nurses, technicians and ward attendees,
was conducted. The collected nasal swab samples inoculated on Mannitol salt agar,
nutrient agar, blood agar. The virulence factors of the isolated bacterial strains
were phenotypically and genotypically determined.
The virulent strains were genotypically identified by sequencing their 16s rRNA
gene followed by phylogenetic analysis. Kirby-Bauer method was employed to check
the antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates. Among the 576 bacterial isolates, 124
were found to be Staphylococcus sp. and 12 were identified as S. aureus both phenotypically
and genotypically. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns revealed the prevalence of S,
aureus isolates sensitivity (62.87%), resistance (37.12%), MRSA (66.66%) and multi
drug resistance (MDR; 58.33%). This study revealed the prevalence of asymptomatic
carriage found with virulent, MRSA and MDR S. aureus isolates.
