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Objective: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) widely distributed in hospitals around the world. There is strong relationship between disease development and S. aureus nasal carriage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and epidemiology of nasal colonization with S. aureus and MRSA in the community of Duhok city, Iraq.Methods: 489 students aged 16 to18 years were included. Nasal swab samples were collected followed by antimicrobial susceptibility test. MRSA isolates were selected and investigated for the mecA gene. Also the prevalence of PantonValentine Leukocidin (PVL) gene was also studied.Results: A total of 90 (18.4%) out of 489 (18.4%) of the students were found to be colonized by S. aureus. Only 10 (2.04%) of the students were found to be MRSA carrier. All MRSA isolates were sensitive to Vancomycin. PLV gene was detected in one MRSA strain. Conclusion:This is the first study investigating S. aureus colonization in students in the Duhok city. Nasal carriage of S. aureus and MRSA is comparable with reports from elsewhere. Fortunately, all trains included in our study were sensitive to vancomycin. Further research is needed to examine the SCCmec elements and the evolution of MRSA over the time.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most adaptable human pathogens. Nasal Staphylococcus aureus is the main cause of community-associated staphylococcal infections. This project aimed to study the prevalence of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) and evaluate their antibiotic susceptibility tests among primary school children at Zakho city, Kurdistan region, Iraq. Nasal swabs were taken from a total of 300 primary school pupils aged 8-12 years. Collected nasal swabs were processed according to the standard bacteriological culture and isolates were identified using mannitol fermentation, Gram stain, catalase test and coagulase test. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out on Muller-Hinton agar (MHA) to determine the susceptibility of S. aureus and CA-MRSA towards antibiotics. 30% (90/300) of the primary school children carried S. aureus. The nasal carriage of MRSA was 4% (12/300) among participants. All MRSA isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, doxycycline, amikacin and ciprofloxacin. This study showed that the incidence of S. aureus and CA-MRSA is comparable with reports from elsewhere. Measures are needed to keep the emergence and transmission of these pathogens to a lowest. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of all S. aureus isolates is crucial for treatment of MRSA. Further studies are required to detect the risk factors of the acquisition of MRSA.