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Updated: Aug 26, 2026

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
10:17

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Published on: April 23, 2019

Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among injection drug users: lower prevalence in an injection heroin maintenance

Stefano Bassetti1, Lea Wolfisberg, Barbara Jaussi

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
|March 5, 2004
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Injection heroin maintenance programs showed lower Staphylococcus aureus carriage rates compared to oral methadone programs. This suggests aseptic needle use may not increase S. aureus carriage in these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health
  • Addiction Medicine

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are significant pathogens.
  • Carriage rates of S. aureus can vary among different populations, including injection drug users (IDUs).
  • Opiate maintenance programs offer different delivery methods (injection vs. oral) which may influence carriage rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare S. aureus and MRSA carriage prevalence in IDUs receiving injection heroin versus oral methadone.
  • To identify predictors of S. aureus carriage within these IDU groups.

Main Methods:

  • A survey was conducted at two university psychiatric clinic opiate maintenance programs.
  • Participants included 94 IDUs from an injection heroin program and 70 IDUs from an oral methadone program.
  • Data on S. aureus and MRSA carriage were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • IDUs in the injection heroin program had significantly lower S. aureus carriage rates (39.4%) compared to those in the oral methadone program (60%).
  • Nasal carriage rates were also significantly lower in the injection heroin group (22.3%) versus the oral methadone group (42.9%).
  • Treatment in the oral methadone program was the sole independent predictor of S. aureus carriage.

Conclusions:

  • Aseptic needle use in injection heroin programs did not appear to increase S. aureus carriage rates.
  • Further research is needed to determine if lower S. aureus carriage in this group translates to reduced S. aureus infections.
  • These findings have implications for harm reduction strategies in addiction treatment.

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