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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
Published on: May 8, 2013
Can methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus be found in an ambulance fleet?
Chad E Roline1, Christina Crumpecker, Thomas M Dunn
1Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007, USA. cer28@georgetown.edu
Objective:
To perform an initial screening study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination in an ambulance fleet.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study of MRSA contamination in an ambulance fleet operating in the western United States in June 2006. Five specific areas within each of 21 ambulances (n = 105) were tested for MRSA contamination using dacron swabs moistened with a 0.85% sterile saline solution. These samples were then plated onto a screening media of mannitol salt agar containing 6.5% NaCl and 4 mcg/mL oxacillin.
Results:
Thirteen samples isolated from 10 of the 21 ambulances (47.6%) in the sample group tested positive for MRSA.
Conclusions:
The results of this preliminary study suggest that ambulances operating in the emergency medical services (EMS) system may have a significant degree of MRSA contamination and may represent an important reservoir in the transmission of potentially serious infections to patients.
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