title: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among health care workers of intensive care units in Ecuador.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colonization of health care workers with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been an important route of dispersion and infection of MRSA and has been implicated in epidemic outbreaks. The objective of the present study was to assess prevalence of MRSA colonization in the anterior nares of health care personnel at the intensive care unit (ICUs) of three hospital facilities in Quito, Ecuador.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of MRSA in specimens from all ICU health care workers of three hospitals was measured by using a real-time PCR assay and CHROMagar MRSA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of MRSA among the three health care facilities was 2.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of MRSA colonization was relatively low compared to other studies and showed no differences between hospital facilities.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Escuela Politécnica del Ejército, Sangolquí, Ecuador. alejaruiz0344@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zurita
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larco
authors.forename: Yadira
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toapanta
authors.forename: Jeannete
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zurita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult