Descriptive epidemiology of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients admitted to two healthcare facilities in Algeria.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate nasal carriage rate and variables associated with Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients admitted in two healthcare facilities.


RESULTS
S. aureus was isolated from 159 (26%) of the enrolled patients. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus was isolated from 150 (24.5%) patients, and MRSA was isolated from 9 (1.5%). Cancer and previous hospitalization were associated with a significantly higher frequency of nasal S. aureus carriage among the patients admitted to the general hospital and the nephrology department, respectively. MRSA isolates were heterogeneous with respect to their staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) type, sequence type (ST), and toxin genes (pvl and tst1) content. Four isolates were attributed with the ST80-MRSA-IV clone, which is known to be predominant in Algeria.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first assessment of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage and associated variables in Algeria. Our findings provide also a picture of the MRSA strains circulating in the community in this geographic area. They can be useful as a guide for implementing screening and control procedures against S. aureus/MRSA in the Algerian healthcare facilities.
1 Laboratoire de Microbiologie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université A/MIRA , Bejaia, Algérie.
Ferhat
F
Djoudi
Said
S
Benallaoua
Aurora
A
Aleo
Abdelaziz
A
Touati
Mouloud
M
Challal
Celestino
C
Bonura
Caterina
C
Mammina
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000462:Algeria; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology