Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in young healthy adults in Brunei Darussalam.

 

Nurul Fatini ABDUL MALIK, Siti Hanna MUHARRAM, Oduola ABIOLA

Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam

 

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a gram-positive coccus bacterium which is normally a skin flora but may cause opportunistic infections such as skin and soft tissue infections, bacteraemia and necrotising fasciitis. Nasal carriage of S. aureus is a well-known factor for subsequent infections and transmission. Emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains including Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has become a public health problem. Therefore, an understanding of S. aureus nasal carriage status and its transmission is important for control of S. aureus, formulation of treatment strategies and related health planning. Materials and Methods: Nasal specimens were collected from 115 undergraduate students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam who volunteered to take part in the study. S. aureus identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing including those of MRSA were carried out by standard laboratory protocols. A questionnaire was also administered to volunteers to help identify associated factors to S. aureus nasal carriage and possible transmission. Results: Twenty-two percent (25/115) of participants tested positive for S. aureus nasal carriage and none for MRSA. S. aureus isolates have a varying low resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. No significant differences exist between carrier and non-carrier states in relation to factors that may be associated with S. aureus nasal carriage. Conclusion: Given that this is a preliminary study, a study with a larger sample size is required to further understand S. aureus nasal carriage in Brunei Darussalam.

 

Keywords: Drug resistance, nasal carriage, risk factor, Staphylococcus aureus, Brunei

 

Correspondence: Oduola ABIOLA, Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam

E mail: oduola.abiola@gmail.com

 

Brunei Int Med J. 2014; 10 (2): 78-84

 

 

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