title: Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in hemodialysis centers of Fez, Morocco.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal carriage may be responsible for some serious infections in hemodialyzed patients. The main target of this study was to estimate the prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage in hemodialysis outpatients and medical staff in hemodialysis centers specifically in Fez region. The second target is to identify the risks of colonization, resistance pattern of isolates and their virulence toxin genes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal swab specimens were obtained from 143 hemodialyzed outpatients and 32 medical staff from January to June 2012. Each participant completed a short questionnaire. Nasal carriage of S. aureus was demographically related (age, gender, hemodialysis duration), comorbidity (diabetes, malignancy) and exposure to health care (dialysis staff, hospitalization). PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) were used on all the isolates in the research of twelve staphylococcal enterotoxins genes. Also the PCR was used to investigate on the three factors epidermal cell differentiation inhibitors; three exfoliatin toxins; two leukotoxins; the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 and the hemolysin beta genes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nasal screening revealed 38.16%, 50% and 18.75% S. aureus carries in chronic, acute hemodialysis patients and medical staff, respectively. Only young participants were likely to be S. aureus carries (p = 0.002). But there were no gender differences between the isolate carriers and non-carriers or some comorbidity factors such as viral hepatitis B and C, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infections, diabetes, chronic smoking, recent hospitalization or antibiotic therapy. Out of all isolates, only one (1.61%) was methicillin-resistant and Twenty-one (33.87%) had at least two virulence toxin genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge and monitoring of antibiotic resistance profile and virulence of S. aureus carriage are essential in the treatment of infections generated by this pathogen, as well as in the control of clonal dissemination and prevent the spread of S. aureus resistance.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
authors: Idrissa
authors: I
authors: Diawara
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
authors: Khadija
authors: K
authors: Bekhti
authors: Department of the Food safety and the sanitary hygiene, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors: Driss
authors: D
authors: Elhabchi
authors: Laboratory of Biology and Health URAC34-Metabolic and Immunologic Pathology Research Team, Faculty of Science, Ben M'sik, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors: Rachid
authors: R
authors: Saile
authors: Molecular Bacteriology Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors: Naima
authors: N
authors: Elmdaghri
authors: Molecular Bacteriology Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors: Mohammed
authors: M
authors: Timinouni
authors: Molecular Bacteriology Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Elazhari
keywords: Nasal carriage; Staphylococcus aureus; antimicrobial susceptibility; hemodialysis; toxin genes