title: Prevalence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Carriage amongst Health Care Workers of Critical Care Units in Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Outbreaks and prevalence of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Nosocomial Infection (NI) among various populations have been well reported in literature, particularly those from developed countries. There is a paucity of information on carriage of MRSA in developing nations, including the carriage by critical healthcare givers who are potential transmitters.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Present study was aimed at establishing the carriage rate of MRSA among healthcare workers in the critical care units of Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, India and at formulating an MRSA control policy, based on the outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We screened 200 healthcare workers in the critical care units of the Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, India, for MRSA and vancomycin susceptibility of the isolates. Swabs taken from both anterior nares were transported, inoculated onto mannitol salt agar (MSA) and incubated aerobically at 37°C for 18-24 hours. Gram positive cocci in clusters, with positive catalase, coagulase and DNAse tests, were identified as S.aureus. Further categorization of S.aureus into MRSA was done by using cefoxitin disc diffusion method. Sensitivity to vancomycin was tested by vancomycin disc diffusion and vancomycin agar screen plating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of strains of S. aureus which was isolated from our 200 participants was 35, with a rate of 17.5% of the 35 isolates of S. aureus, 5 (14.3%) were MRSA. None of the S. aureus strains were vancomycin resistant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRSA carriage among healthcare workers who were involved in the management of critically ill patients at Kasturba Medical College hospital, Mangalore, India was 2.5%, which is comfortably low. The existing infection control policy in our hospital seems to be effective and the same should be maintained.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, KMC , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Radhakrishna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: M
authors.affiliation: Final Year MBBS Student, Department of Microbiology, KMC Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Monalisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology, KVG Medical College , Sullia, India .
authors.forename: Subbannayya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kotigadde
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, KMC , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Vishwas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saralaya K
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, KMC , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Shashidar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kotian M
keywords: Healthcare workers; Methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus