Throat Swabs Are Necessary to Reliably Detect Carriers of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

The anterior nares are the most important screening site of colonization with Staphylococcus aureus. We screened 2966 individuals for S. aureus carriage with swabs of both nares and throat. A total of 37.1% of persons were nasal carriers, and 12.8% were solely throat carriers. Screening of throat swabs significantly increases the sensitivity of detection among carriers by 25.7%.The anterior nares are considered to be the primary colonization site of Staphylococcus aureus [1][2][3]. Approximately 30% of the healthy population carries S. aureus in their anterior nares [4,5]. Carriage of S. aureus in the nose appears to play a key role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infection and is associated with an increased risk of infectious complications after surgery in patients with end-stage renal failure and in those with intravascular devices [1,6]. Approximately 80% of invasive nosocomial infections are of endogenous origin in nasal carriers [7,8].The emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in hospitals and in the community has triggered many screening programs to identify carriers of S. aureus-in particular, MRSA. Early identification of carriers is a crucial step in MRSA prevention programs; this is especially true for "search and destroy" strategies, which are recommended in The Netherlands [9]. Screening of all persons who are admitted to the hospital is currently being debated in the United States.Most S. aureus screening programs that include MRSA require obtainment of a swab specimen from the anterior nares

Emergence of SCCmec Type IV as the Most Common Type of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a University Hospital

“…The strength of our study is the unique environment of the hospital: less than 0.5% of all patients admitted to the hospital are colonized with MRSA, as reported by Mertz et al [21] and confirmed by a recent screening of 1,000 patients on admission (data not shown). In addition, the surveillance program identifies only between 2 and 10 transmissions per year in our 750-bed tertiary care hospital.…”

“…In our setting, the low incidence of MRSA coupled with a prospective active screening program using a standardized case report form provided a unique opportunity to classify MRSA patients with epidemiological data and results from molecular typing [21].…”

“…Our approach was successfully validated in a foreign hospital [16]. Patients with risk factors or those previously colonized or infected with MRSA are routinely screened on admission by swabs of nose, throat, and any wounds present [21]. Since 1992, MRSA strains are saved at -70°C.…”

Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusin people living and working in pig farms

“…The farms investigated were a representative sample of The Netherlands by region and type of farm, although the response rate (47 %) may have caused a bias for farms cooperating because of previous knowledge on MRSA (and an interest in participating) or no knowledge (and no fear of participating). Nasal sampling is known to identify the majority of MRSA carriers [27]. Visits were spaced and samples carefully handled to avoid crosscontamination from one farm to another.…”

Staphylococcus Aureus Nešiojimas Tarp Vilniaus Universiteto Medicinos Fakulteto Pirmo Kurso Studentų, Atsparumas Antimikrobiniams Vaistams Ir Nešiojimo Rizikos Veiksnių Tyrimas

“…Vis dėlto S. aureus aptinkamas ir kaip komensalinis mikroorganizmas žmonių šnervėse bei ryklėje [1,2]. Beveik 20 proc.…”