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Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a microorganism that colonizes the skin and mucosal surfaces of healthy individuals, but it is also one of the most common causes of community-acquired and hospital infections. Nasal carriage of S. aureus represents a major risk factor for the development of infection with this bacterium. A special therapeutic problem are methicillin-resistant isolates of S. aureus (MRSA). The aim of this study was to assess the nasal carriage of S. aureus in healthy individuals in the local community, and the sensitivity of the microorganism to antibiotics. The study enrolled 56.868 healthy individuals aged 19 to 65 years, and 2.040 healthy school children aged 15 to 19 years. Specimens to be studied were obtained from anterior nares. We used the disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer) on Mueller-Hinton agar to assess the sensitivity of isolated S. aureus. S. aureus was isolated in 1.381 (2.34%) respondents. Positive findings were obtained in 2.33% of adult examinees, and in 2.59% of studied school children. We found a low level of susceptibility only to penicillin (5.36%). The susceptibility of S. aureus isolates to all other tested antibiotics was present in a high percentage, with the lowest percentage of susceptibility to doxycycline (71.54%) and erythromycin (86.09%). The highest percentage of susceptibility of tested isolates was reported for fusidic acid (99.27%). In relation to the total number of S. aureus isolates from nasal swabs in adults, MRSA was present in 8.96% (119 isolates), while there were 4 MRSA isolates from nasal swabs in school children. In this study, we established a low percentage of nasal carriage of S. aureus in the population of healthy individuals, but a high percentage of MRSA.

SuMMARYChlorpyrifos is a hazardous insecticide and important pollutant of the environment. The EU Directive 2008/105/EC lists it as one of the priority water pollutants. Its presence is mainly detected by chemical methods but, since biological tests have gained in importance in the last few years, this study aimed to assess the potentials of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) as indicators of water pollution. The phytotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos (rates 0.05-10µg a.i./l) were assessed based on physiological (germination energy and germination) and morphological traits (root and shoot length, fresh and dry weights) of the tested species. A slightly modified filter paper method was used and the results were processed by Duncan`s multiple range test and Probit analysis (EC 50 ). According to the Directive, the maximal allowable concentration (MAC) of chlorpyrifos in water is 0.1µg a.i./l. When applied at the MAC value, chlorpyrifos inhibited germination energy and germination (11.25%) of white mustard, as compared to the control (91.5; 93.5%), and its hypocotyls and epicotyls failed to form. At the rates 50% below the MAC, germination energy and germination (87.75; 88.25%) were significanty inhibited, as well as root and shoot growth of seedlings. Chlorpyrofos did not affect the germination energy and germination of maize, while all morphological traits were significantly reduced by chlorpyrifos at the MAC rate. The EC 50 of chlorpyrifos was 0.09µg a.i./l for germination of white mustard and 3.21µg a.i./l for maize.