Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in an army recruits population: prevalence and genotyping

Abstract number: P657

Demirpek U., Haznedaroglu T., Ozyurt M., Bozdogan B.

Objective: Although MRSA strains are strictly related to hospital setting community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is emerging worldwide. MRSA carriage is important for dissemination of CA-MRSA infections. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of MRSA nasal carriage among army recruits who are from different geographic areas of the country.

Methods: A total of 4843 army recruits were examined by nasal cultures. Staphylococcus aureus strains were characterised and identified by conventional methods. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by disk diffusion method and all MRSA strains were typed by SCCmec and PFGE. Potential risk factors for colonisation have been noted down using a questionnaire; such as admissions to hospital, antibiotics usage, hometown, educational level, annual salary, job.

Results:Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated from 552 (12%) of 4843 participants. Seven out of 552 S. aureus were resistant to meticillin. Overall community-associated MRSA carriage rate was 1.3%. Presence of mecA gene was confirmed in all 7 strains by mecA PCR. SCCmec typing and PFGE typing showed that 5 isolates were type III and A pulse-type, and the remaining 2 strains were type II and B and C pulse-types. The cases are found out to be admitted to hospital and/or used antibiotics.

Conclusion: MRSA is emerging in community level. Army is one of the risk group for MRSA dissemination and infection. The carriage level was 1.3% similar to carriage rates in previous studies from Turkey. The major A clone obtained from 5 of 7 soldiers were related to a hospital clone in a military hospital in the same area. Large scale studies should be done to evaluate presence a CA-MRSA clone other than hospital clones.