title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus on the hands of health care workers: a route of transmission or a source?
abstract: We undertook a cross-sectional study of hand carriage and environmental contamination of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci on three wards of a single subspeciality surgical service. Sixteen hand cultures from 15 health care workers and 32 environmental cultures were obtained. Of 49 isolates, 35 (72%) were Staphylococcus haemolyticus. This species comprised 14 of the 16 (87%) hand isolates and 21 of the 32 (66%) environmental isolates. Using restriction length polymorphism of total DNA, we identified a single clone of S. haemolyticus on the hands of four health care workers and in the environment at seven locations on two wards. The widespread dissemination of a single clone suggests transmission of S. haemolyticus on the wards and prompts further prospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perdreau-Remington
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stefanik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruckdeschel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pulverer
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005858:Germany; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis