title: Nasal carriage of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among healthy population of Kashmir, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasal colonisation with community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is being increasingly reported, especially in places where people are in close contact and where hygiene is compromised. The aim of this study was to find out prevalence of methicillin resistant S.aureus (MRSA) colonising anterior nares of healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal swabs of healthy subjects were collected aseptically and cultured using standard microbiological protocols. Antibiotic susceptibility was done by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. Methicillin resistance was detected by cefoxitin disc diffusion method and confirmed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and amplification of mecA gene by PCR. Strain typing of MRSA strains was done by PFGE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 820 samples, S.aureus was isolated from 229 (27.92%) subjects. Of the 229 isolates, 15 were methicillin resistant. All S. aureus isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. Nasal carriage of MRSA was found to be 1.83% among healthy population. The isolates were found to be polyclonal by PFGE analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalence of MRSA is a cause of concern and strategies to interrupt transmission should be implemented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Sher i Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Fomda
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thokar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zahoor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majid
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D058889:Molecular Typing; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus