Survey of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in healthy college students, Hawai'i

Hawaii Med J. 2007 Aug;66(8):213-5.

Abstract

Currently, the carriage rate for Community-Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is unknown in Hawai'i. This survey focuses on a healthy population of 95 college students and 5 faculty who completed a survey related to possible risk factors for colonization of Staphylococcus aureus and were sampled for S. aureus from their anterior nares. Thirty-three (33%) subjects were carrying Staphylococcus aureus and of those, 3 (3%) carried MRSA. There was no significant association between Staphylococcus aureus carriage and ethnicity, gender exposure to seawater, prior Staphylococcus aureus infections, recent antibiotic use, or pets. Additional testing of a larger group of healthy individuals would be beneficial in assessing factors associated with CA-MRSA and Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) carriage in Hawai'i.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Carrier State / microbiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / transmission
  • Faculty / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Hawaii / epidemiology
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methicillin Resistance*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Infections / transmission
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
  • Students / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities*