title: Staphylococcus aureus and the oral cavity: an overlooked source of carriage and infection?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of intraoral Staphylococcus aureus in disease and cross-infection sources is controversial. We present a 10-year retrospective analysis of laboratory data reporting isolation of S aureus from oral and perioral clinical specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of laboratory records for specimens where S aureus was isolated were collated and analyzed from January 1998-December 2007 at the Oral Microbiology Laboratory, Glasgow Dental Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 11,312 specimens submitted to the laboratory over the study time period. S aureus was isolated from 1,986 specimens (18%). Of these, 1,782 (90%) were methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA), and 204 (10%) were methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). The most common specimen type from which MSSA was isolated was an oral rinse, whereas for MRSA this was a tongue swab. Most of the MRSA isolates were EMRSA-15 or EMRSA-16 lineage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that S aureus continues to be a frequent isolate in the oral cavity and perioral region. The oral cavity should be considered a source of S aureus in terms of cross-infection and dissemination to other body sites. The role of S aureus in the pathogenesis of certain oral diseases should also be considered as part of a differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.affiliation: College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Electronic address: Andrew.smith@glasgow.ac.uk.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Govan Dental Care, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Akram
authors.affiliation: College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Scottish MRSA Reference Laboratory, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Oral microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus