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Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in healthy preschool children

Muge Oguzkaya-Artan1, Zeynep Baykan, Cem Artan

  • 1Halil Bayraktar Health Services Vocational College, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. martan@erciyes.edu.tr

Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases
|January 26, 2008
PubMed

Insights

This study found Staphylococcus aureus in 18% of preschool children, including a small percentage of methicillin-resistant strains. Most S. aureus isolates remained susceptible to common antibiotics, indicating potential treatment options.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium carried by individuals.
  • Preschool children, particularly those in day care, may be at higher risk for carriage.
  • Understanding carriage prevalence and antimicrobial resistance is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal carriage in healthy preschool children.
  • To identify the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in this population.
  • To assess the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. aureus isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Nasal swabs were collected from 200 healthy 5- to 7-year-old children attending a day care center.
  • Sociodemographic data and potential risk factors were gathered from parents.
  • Standard microbiological methods were used for S. aureus isolation and identification.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on isolated strains.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 36 (18%) of the 200 children.
  • Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was found in 2 (5.6%) of the S. aureus isolates.
  • No identified risk factors were associated with MRSA carriage in the affected children.
  • All S. aureus isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, vancomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, rifampicin, and mupirocin.
  • Resistance rates were observed for erythromycin (16.6%), clindamycin (8.3%), fusidic acid (5.6%), and tetracycline (8.3%).

Conclusions:

  • Staphylococcus aureus carriage is prevalent in healthy preschool children attending day care.
  • A low prevalence of MRSA was detected, with no clear risk factors identified in this cohort.
  • Most S. aureus isolates exhibited susceptibility to key antibiotics, suggesting effective treatment options remain available.

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