Genetic Similarity of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Nose and Mobile Phones of Healthcare Providers Working in the Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus colonized in the nose of healthcare workers is an important risk factor for the development of hospital-acquired staphylococcal infections. Cross-contamination of this bacterium between the hands of healthcare workers and the surfaces they contact is known. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clonal relationship between eight S. aureus strains isolated from the nose of healthcare providers and five S. aureus strains isolated from mobile phones carried by healthcare providers. Methods: The clonal relationship between the strains and molecular epidemiological status were investigated by the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method. Results: The first and third strains are isolated from the mobile phone and the nose of a healthcare provider working in the intensive care unit were the same. The second and fourth strains were isolated from the mobile phone and nose of another healthcare provider working in the intensive care unit were the same. The fifth strain, which was found to be the same as the second and fourth strains, was isolated from the mobile phone of another healthcare provider working in the intensive care unit. No similarity was observed between the other strains. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that S. aureus strains colonized in the nose of healthcare workers are also transmitted to other surfaces and that the hospital environment and co-used devices pose a risk for spread. For this reason, training of healthcare workers on the infection control procedure, hand hygiene, environmental disinfection and regular cleaning of mobile phones are important components in order to prevent hospital-acquired infections.