title: Staphylococcus aureus carriage among participants at the 13th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
abstract: The aim of this study was to measure the rate of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among attendees of the 13th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), particularly with regard to methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains. The 31.4% rate of Staphylococcus aureus colonization detected among the participants was in line with colonization rates reported previously for healthcare workers. A statistical difference was found between the rates of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in physicians (37.4%) and non-physicians (21.7%) but not between males (35.0%) and females (28.9%). Only one participant (a Belgian physician) was found to carry MRSA. Surprisingly, the rate of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus carriage was significantly higher among participants from countries with a low prevalence of MRSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen University Centre for Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre St. Radboud, 440 MMB, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nulens
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deplano
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cookson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alp
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voss
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*