Sanitary status and incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile within...

The study described in this article aimed at establishing a baseline assessment of the sanitary status of ice and guest rooms within Canadian hotels. Collectively, 54 hotel rooms belonging to six different national chains were sampled. High-contact surfaces (comforter, alarm clock, bedside lamp, TV remote, bathroom countertop, faucet, and toilet seat) were sampled using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) swabs and replicate organism detection and counting plates. ATP swab readings ranged from 2.12 to 4.42 log relative light units. Coliforms were recovered from 36% of surfaces with high prevalence being recovered from the comforter, TV remote, bathroom countertop, faucet, and toilet seat. Oxacillin-resistant bacteria were recovered from 19% of surfaces with 46% of isolates confirmed as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Two toxigenic Clostridium difficile isolates were recovered in the course of the study. Collectively, 24% of the ice samples harbored coliforms with a single sample testing positive for E. coli. The authors' study demonstrates that hotel rooms represent a potential source of community-acquired infections and the need for enhanced sanitation practices.