Hospital staphylococci in helsinki

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Hospital Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Staphylococcal infections pose a significant threat in healthcare settings.
• Methicillin resistance in staphylococci (MRS) is a growing global health concern.
• Understanding carrier rates is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of staphylococcal nasal carriage among hospital staff in Helsinki.
• To identify the proportion of methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) carriers.
• To characterize the phage types and resistance patterns of isolated staphylococci.

Main Methods:

• Collection and analysis of 812 nasal swabs from hospital staff.
• Microbiological culture and identification of staphylococci.
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, including methicillin resistance.
• Phage typing of isolated staphylococcal strains.

Main Results:

• Overall staphylococcal carrier rate was 26%.
• Methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRCPS) were found in 3% of staff at one hospital.
• Isolated MRS strains exhibited multidrug resistance.
• Phage group III strains were dominant (35%), followed by types 83A/53/83A (9%) and 6557 (7%).

Conclusions:

• Hospital staff nasal carriage of staphylococci is common in Helsinki.
• The presence of multidrug-resistant MRS highlights the need for stringent infection control measures.
• Dominance of specific phage groups suggests potential transmission pathways within the hospital environment.