S R Ritchie1, E Isdale2, P Priest3, P B Rainey4, M G Thomas2. 1. Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand; NZ Institute for Advanced Study and Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology & Evolution, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand. Electronic address: s.ritchie@auckland.ac.nz. 2. Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand. 3. Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand. 4. NZ Institute for Advanced Study and Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology & Evolution, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in healthy adults. METHOD: Selected S. aureus strains isolated from weekly nasal swabs obtained from 122 healthy young adults over a 13 week period were spa typed. RESULTS: The median duration of intermittent carriage was 4 weeks (IQR 2-6) and the median interval between episodes of carriage of different spa types was 3.5 weeks (IQR 2.25-4). 6/19 (32%) Persistent carriers were colonised with more than one spa type during the study, and in two persistent carriers a brief period of mixed colonisation with two spa types was observed. Even when the carriage strain changed, it was very rare for persistent carriers to have a period during which they were culture-negative (only 6/188 (3%) swabs submitted by persistent carriers failed to culture S. aureus). CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply that at least every eight weeks a healthy young adult is exposed to S. aureus sufficient to cause a new episode of carriage among intermittent carriers. Persistent carriers are almost always colonised with S. aureus and over the course of a year there will be at least one replacement of the dominant strain.
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in healthy adults. METHOD: Selected S. aureus strains isolated from weekly nasal swabs obtained from 122 healthy young adults over a 13 week period were spa typed. RESULTS: The median duration of intermittent carriage was 4 weeks (IQR 2-6) and the median interval between episodes of carriage of different spa types was 3.5 weeks (IQR 2.25-4). 6/19 (32%) Persistent carriers were colonised with more than one spa type during the study, and in two persistent carriers a brief period of mixed colonisation with two spa types was observed. Even when the carriage strain changed, it was very rare for persistent carriers to have a period during which they were culture-negative (only 6/188 (3%) swabs submitted by persistent carriers failed to culture S. aureus). CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply that at least every eight weeks a healthy young adult is exposed to S. aureus sufficient to cause a new episode of carriage among intermittent carriers. Persistent carriers are almost always colonised with S. aureus and over the course of a year there will be at least one replacement of the dominant strain.
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