Prevalence and molecular characterizations of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among patients in pediatric intensive care units in Taiwan

Abstract

Background: Nasal colonization of Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for the pathogen transmission and the development of infections. Limited information is available on the prevalence and molecular characteristics of S. aureus colonization in pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: A cross-sectional, island-wide study was conducted in 2011. Nasal swabs were collected from pediatric ICU patients at six tertiary hospitals in Taiwan. Results: Of 114 patients enrolled in total, nasal colonization of S. arueus was detected in 30 (26.3%) of them, among whom 20 (17.5%) with methicillin-resistant S. arueus (MRSA). The ST59/SCCmec IV and V clones were most common and accounted for 45% of MRSA isolates, followed by ST239/SCCmec III (25%) and ST45/SCCmec IV (20%) clones. Three ST59 MRSA isolates carried the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin genes. Conclusions: The results indicated a high prevalence of S. arueus and MRSA nasal colonization among pediatric ICU patients in Taiwan. Identification of epidemic clones warrants the implement of infection control measures to reduce colonization and prevent the dissemination of MRSA in hospitals.

Co-colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp. in children with malignancies

“…Moreover, the results of their study showed that the nasal carriage rate of MRSA among these patients was 5.4% and 1.7%, respectively(Lin et al 2020 ). The nasal colonization rate of S. aureus in studies performed by Baroja et al from Ecuador(Baroja et al 2021 ), Chen et al from Taiwan(Chen et al 2020 ), Wu et al from Taiwan(Wu et al 2017 ), and Bassetti et al from Switzerland(Bassetti et al 2005 ) were higher than our study.…”

“…In contrast, the oral colonization rate of S. aureus in studies carried out by Wu et al from Taiwan(Wu et al 2017 ), Bassetti et al from Switzerland(Bassetti et al 2005 ), and Silva et al from Portugal(Simoes-Silva et al 2018 ) was 18.8%, 34.6%, and 90.5%, respectively. Moreover, the nasal colonization rate of MRSA in studies performed by Baroja et al(Baroja et al 2021 ), Chen et al(Chen et al 2020 ), Ning et al(Ning et al 2020 ), and Wu et al(Wu et al 2017 ) was 5%, 17.5%, 23.4%, and 4.4%, respectively.…”

Nasal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes in Taiwan

“…The clonal spread of molecular CA strains to healthcare-associated (HA) environments has been noticed in recent years [28,47]. Although the population may embrace HA factors, increased colonization of the molecular CA strains may indicate a changing MRSA epidemiology in the community and healthcare settings [48].…”