MRSA Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors among Health-Care Workers in Non-outbreak Situations in the Dutch-German EUREGIO

Ricarda Sassmannshausen; Ruud H Deurenberg; Robin Köck; Ron Hendrix; Annette Jurke; John W A Rossen; Alexander W Friedrich

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.01273

MRSA Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors among Health-Care Workers in Non-outbreak Situations in the Dutch-German EUREGIO

Front Microbiol. 2016 Aug 22:7:1273. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01273. eCollection 2016.

Authors

Ricarda Sassmannshausen¹, Ruud H Deurenberg², Robin Köck³, Ron Hendrix⁴, Annette Jurke⁵, John W A Rossen², Alexander W Friedrich²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Münster Münster, Germany.
² Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Groningen, Netherlands.
³ Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany; Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany.
⁴ Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenGroningen, Netherlands; CERTE-LvIGroningen, Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Infectiology and Hygiene, Centre for Health North Rhine-Westphalia Münster, Germany.

Abstract

Preventing the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in healthcare facilities is a major infection control target. However, only a few studies have assessed the potential role of healthcare workers (HCWs) for MRSA dissemination. To investigate the MRSA prevalence and the risk factors for MRSA colonization among HCWs, nasopharyngeal swabs were taken between June 2010 and January 2011 from 726 employees from nine acute care hospitals with different care levels within the German part of a Dutch-German border region (EUREGIO). The isolated MRSA strains were investigated using spa typing. The overall MRSA prevalence among HCWs in a non-outbreak situation was 4.6% (33 of 726), and was higher in nurses (5.6%, 29 of 514) than in physicians (1.2%, 1 of 83). Possible risk factors associated with MRSA colonization were a known history of MRSA carriage and the presence of acne. Intensive contact with patients may facilitate MRSA transmission between patients and HCWs. Furthermore, an accumulation of risk factors was accompanied by an increased MRSA prevalence in HCW.

Keywords: EurSafety health-net; MRSA; MRSA risk factors; decolonization; personnel; staff.