BMC Infectious Diseases (Mar 2020)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among HIV-infected patients in Taiwan: prevalence, molecular characteristics and associated factors with nasal carriage

  • Yi-Yu Hsu,
  • David Wu,
  • Chien-Ching Hung,
  • Shie-Shian Huang,
  • Fang-Hsueh Yuan,
  • Ming-Hsun Lee,
  • Ching-Tai Huang,
  • Shian-Sen Shie,
  • Po-Yen Huang,
  • Chien-Chang Yang,
  • Chun-Wen Cheng,
  • Hsieh-Shong Leu,
  • Ting-Shu Wu,
  • Yhu-Chering Huang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-020-04979-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background To evaluate nasal carriage, antibiotic susceptibility and molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as the risk factors of MRSA colonization, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in northern Taiwan. Methods From September 2014 to November 2015, HIV-infected patients seeking outpatient care at four hospitals were eligible for this study. A nasal specimen was obtained from each subject for the detection of S. aureus and a questionnaire was completed by each subject. MRSA isolates once identified were characterized. Results Of 553 patients surveyed, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) was detected in 119 subjects (21.5%) and MRSA in 19 subjects (3.4%). Female gender, injection drug use, smoking, hepatitis C virus carrier, cancer and antibiotic use within 1 year were positively associated with MRSA colonization. By multivariate analysis, only cancer (adjust odds ratio (aOR) 7.78, [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.909–31.731]) and antibiotic use within 1 year (aOR 3.89, [95% CI, 1.219–12.433]) were significantly associated with MRSA colonization. Ten isolates were characterized as sequence type (ST) 59/staphylococcal chromosome cassette (SCC) IV or VT, endemic community strains in Taiwan, four isolates as ST 8/SCCmec IV (USA 300) and one isolate as ST 239/SCCmec IIIA, a hospital strain. All the community-associated MRSA isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). Conclusions Nasal MRSA carriage in HIV-infected patients seeking outpatient care was low (3.4%) in northern Taiwan. Most of the colonizing isolates were genetically endemic community strains and exhibited high susceptibility to TMP-SMX and fluoroquinolones. Cancer and antibiotic use within 1 year were associated with MRSA colonization.

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