Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo (Aug 2011)

Lack of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage among patients at a primary-healthcare unit in Porto Alegre, Brazil

  • Letícia Vale Scribel,
  • Mariana Vale Scribel,
  • Ernídio Bassani,
  • Afonso Luis Barth,
  • Alexandre Prehn Zavascki

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652011000400004
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 53, no. 4
pp. 197 – 199

Abstract

Read online

INTRODUCTION: Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a pathogen in individuals without traditional risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MRSA nasal carriage was assessed in individuals consulting at a Primary Health Unit in Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 336 individuals were included: 136 were tested only for MRSA and 200 for any S. aureus. No MRSA was found among the 336 individuals and 23 (11.5%) of 200 were colonized by S. aureus. DISCUSSION: Low prevalence rates have been found in non-hospitalized individuals, but MRSA surveillance should be encouraged to monitor clinical and molecular epidemiology of CA- MRSA.

Keywords