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Nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus among healthy individuals

Y Tanaka1, H Okada, A Adachi

  • 1Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University.

Insights

Staphylococcus aureus was found in 24.3% of healthy students, with most resistant to ampicillin. However, these strains showed greater antibiotic sensitivity compared to those from hospital environments.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that can cause infections.
  • Understanding antibiotic resistance in healthy populations is crucial for public health.
  • The prevalence and resistance patterns of S. aureus in community settings require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus spp. in healthy students.
  • To determine the drug resistance patterns of S. aureus isolates from this population.

Main Methods:

  • Bacterial isolation and identification from healthy student samples.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolated S. aureus strains.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 17 out of 70 healthy students (24.3%).
  • Ampicillin resistance was observed in 14 out of 22 S. aureus isolates.
  • Two strains each showed resistance to cefmetazole and gentamicin; no methicillin resistance was detected.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of healthy students carry Staphylococcus aureus.
  • While ampicillin resistance is notable, S. aureus from healthy individuals exhibit relative sensitivity to antibiotics compared to hospital strains.

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