title: [Low colonization with MRSA among health-care workers in an Italian hospital].
abstract: The Authors carried out a study on MRSA colonization rate among health-care workers (HCW) in a large roman hospital. Samples were obtained from staff members at the beginning of each work shift. Two-hundred HCW were included (78 physicians and 122 nurses), mean age 36.6 +/- 10.9 years. We identified 38 (19.0%) S. aureus carriers, prevalently nurses (21.3%) vs. physicians (15.4%). Results showed a RR 2,7; IC95% 1.47-4.86; p < 0.01 among men vs. women. Overall three (1.5%) MRSA strains were isolated among HCW (two nurses and one physician). None of them was a CA-MRSA. The study suggests that HCW act principally as cross transmission vectors and not as main sources of MRSA.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze di Sanit& Pubblica G. Sanarelli, Sapienza Università di Roma. giovanni.orsi@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Orsi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marrone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tavella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D012384:Rome