title: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible s. aureus in the saliva of health professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  S. aureus is one of the main agents of nosocomial infection and is sometimes difficult to treat with currently available active antimicrobials.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the prevalence of methicillin-susceptible S.aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) as well as the MRSA antimicrobial susceptibility profile isolated in the saliva of health professionals at a large public education hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The project was approved by the research and ethics committee of the institution under study. Three samples of saliva from 340 health professionals were collected. The saliva analysis used to identify S. aureus was based on mannitol fermentation tests, catalase production, coagulase, DNAse, and lecithinase. In order to detect MRSA, samples were submitted to the disk diffusion test and the oxacillin agar screening test. In order to identify the minimum inhibitory concentration, the Etest technique was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of MSSA was 43.5% (148/340), and MRSA was 4.1% (14/340). MRSA detected by the diffusion disk test, was 100% resistant to penicillin and oxacillin, 92.9% resistant to erythromycin, 57.1% resistant to clindamycin, 42.9% resistant to ciprofloxacin and 57.1% resistant to cefoxetin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This subject is important for both the education of health professionals and for preventative measures. Standard and contact-precautions should be employed in professional practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, College of Medicine of the ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milton Jorge
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Fabiana Cristina
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: Miyeko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.forename: Elucir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gir
authors.forename: Adriana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Caio Parente
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Silvia Rita Marin da Silva
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Canini
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santiago
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D008712:Methicillin; D010068:Oxacillin