Detection of Methicillin Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Carriage and Its Antibiotic Sensitivity among Basic and Clinical Years Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) and medical students can be asymptomatic carriers in transmitting methicillin resistant and susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA). Studying epidemiological and antibiotic susceptibility data is necessary to limit the spread of infections, help with treatment and understand the transmission dynamics of MSSA and MRSA. Our study assessed the rate of MSSA and MRSA nasal carriage and its antibiogram among medical students in basic and clinical years at the University of Jordan. Methods: A total of 210 nasal swabs were randomly collected from participants. MSSA and MRSA were identified by culture, biochemical and other phenotypical analysis methods. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disc diffusion method. Results: The nasal carriage of MSSA was 6.6% and 11.4% and that of MRSA was 1.9% and 2.8% among basic and clinical years, respectively. There was no significant difference for the nasal carriage of MSSA and MRSA among basic and clinical year students (p value ≥ 0.05). MSSA resistance ranged between 25% and 33% for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. For MRSA, the highest resistance was to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline (67% to 100%), followed by gentamicin and ciprofloxacin (33% to 67%), in all participants in the study. Conclusion: The difference in the carriage rates of MSSA and MRSA among basic and clinical students was statistically insignificant. The continuous awareness and implementation of infection control procedures and guided patient contact are recommended. The results might also suggest that healthcare workers could be victims in the cycle of MRSA nasal carriage, a theory that needs further study.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA among Medical students: a literature review

“…According to Chen et al (2012), the prevalence of MRSA in preclinicals was 2.4% while clinical was 1.9% after 1 to 2 years of exposure. In the study by Alzoubi et al (2020), MRSA was found in 1.9% of students in preclinical years and 2.8% among clinical years, but the years of each cycle were not distinguished. Whereas in two studies, no MRSA cases were found (Gualdoni et al, 2012;Syafinaz et al, 2012).…”

“…In 2011, MRSA infections were estimated to account for about 50-63% of all nosocomial infections in the United States (Chamberlain & Singh, 2011). The current percentage of MRSA among S. aureus has been increasing, however, worldwide, it varies by region, corresponding to rates of 20 to 80% of all S. aureus (Alzoubi et al, 2020). In South America, North America, Malta and Asia, MRSA prevalence rates were greater than 50%.…”

“…In the 1960s, a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was first isolated (Jayaweera et al, 2020). It is now known that this variant is due to the mec(A) and SCCmec genes, which encode altered penicillin-binding proteins (PBP), conferring resistance to beta-lactams and methicillin (Alzoubi et al, 2020). With the emergence of this resistant strain, there has been an increase in the therapeutic complexity of hospital-acquired infections, as well as Research, Society and Development, v. 10, n. 11, e347101119536, 2021 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.…”

“…With the emergence of this resistant strain, there has been an increase in the therapeutic complexity of hospital-acquired infections, as well as Research, Society and Development, v. 10, n. 11, e347101119536, 2021 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10. 33448/rsd-v10i11.19536 3 hospitalization time and treatment costs (Alzoubi et al, 2020;Rodríguez-Avial et al, 2013). Studies proves that individuals exposed to a hospital environment for long periods have a greater chance of carrying S. aureus or MRSA in the nasal microbiota and, consequently, healthcare workers can be a source of transmission of nosocomial infections (Alzoubi et al, 2020;Okamo et al, 2016).…”

“…33448/rsd-v10i11.19536 3 hospitalization time and treatment costs (Alzoubi et al, 2020;Rodríguez-Avial et al, 2013). Studies proves that individuals exposed to a hospital environment for long periods have a greater chance of carrying S. aureus or MRSA in the nasal microbiota and, consequently, healthcare workers can be a source of transmission of nosocomial infections (Alzoubi et al, 2020;Okamo et al, 2016). Most of the population is an intermediate carrier of S. aureus, while the rest is divided between those who are always colonized and those who never acquire the microorganism (Ansari et al, 2016).…”