title: Survey of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in healthy college students, Hawai'i.
abstract: Currently, the carriage rate for Community-Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is unknown in Hawai'i. This survey focuses on a healthy population of 95 college students and 5 faculty who completed a survey related to possible risk factors for colonization of Staphylococcus aureus and were sampled for S. aureus from their anterior nares. Thirty-three (33%) subjects were carrying Staphylococcus aureus and of those, 3 (3%) carried MRSA. There was no significant association between Staphylococcus aureus carriage and ethnicity, gender exposure to seawater, prior Staphylococcus aureus infections, recent antibiotic use, or pets. Additional testing of a larger group of healthy individuals would be beneficial in assessing factors associated with CA-MRSA and Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) carriage in Hawai'i.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kapi'olani Community College, Honolulu, HI 96816, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Roger S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Tice
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berestecky
authors.forename: Dayna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Seifried
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D005178:Faculty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities