Nasal carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a cardiovascular tertiary care centre and its detection by Lipovitellin Salt Mannitol Agar.

Ecological niches of Staphylococcus aureus are the anterior nares. Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in the nose appears to play a key role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infection. Numerous studier have shown that elimination of nasal carriage using Mupirocin also eliminated hand carriage and the spread of infections in hospitals. Lipovitellin-Salt-Mannitol Agar was used for screening, isolation and presumptive identification of Staphylococcus aureus from nasal carriers. From November; 97 to August'98, 724 nasal swabs were cultured and 18.23% of health care workers were found to be nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus. Of these 12.15% were carriers of MRSA. The carrier rate was highest in December' 97 (32.07%). All MRSA carriers were treated with local application of Mupirocin for three days. A study of the antibiogram of the clinical isolates during the corresponding period showed 100% susceptibility of MRSA to Vancomycin. Susceptibility of MRSA to Clindamycin, Netilmycin, Rifampicin & Ofloxacin was 86.6%, 69.5%, 66% & 64.7% respectively.