Main Article Content

Inducible clindamycin resistance and nasal carriage rates of Staphylococcus aureus among healthcare workers and community members


AM Mahmoud
HS Albadawy
SM Bolis
NE Bilal
AO Ahmed
ME Ibrahim

Abstract

Background: Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is becoming an increasing problem among  healthcare workers and community individuals
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization and inducible clindamycin resistance (ICR) of S. aureus among healthcare workers at Soba University Hospital and community members in Khartoum State, Sudan.
Methods: Five hundred nasal swabs samples were collected during March 2009 to April 2010. Isolates were identified using conventional laboratory assays and MRSA determined by the disk diffusion method. The D-test was performed for detection of ICR isolates with Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines.
Results: Of the 114 S. aureus isolated, 20.2% represented MRSA. The occurrence of MRSA was  significantly higher among healthcare worker than community individuals [32.7% (18/55) vs. 6.9% (5/59)] (p=0.001). Overall the 114 S. aureus isolates tested for ICR by D-test, 29 (25.4%) yielded inducible resistance. Significantly higher (p=0.026) ICR was detected among MRSA (43.5%) than methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) (20.9%).
Conclusion: MRSA nasal carriage among healthcare workers needs infection control practice in hospitals to prevent transmission of MRSA. The occurrence of ICR in S. aureus is of a great concern, D- test should be carried out routinely in our hospitals to avoid therapeutic failure.

Keywords: S. aureus nasal carriage, healthcare workers, community members, inducible clindamycin resistance


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905