The Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Nasal Methicillin- Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Colonization among Children in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization is of public health concern due to increased risk of developing invasive infections and the therapeutic challenges. This concern is more among the vulnerable group. We determined the prevalence and associated risk factors of MRSA nasal carriage among children in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.METHOD: We conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional study among 300 children attending the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital recruited through systematic sampling technique. An interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic characteristics and exposure factors. Nasal swabs samples were collected and inoculated on mannitol salt agar and subcultured on nutrient agar to isolate Staphylococcus aureus. We used the conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique to detect the presence of mecA gene for MRSA. We calculated the prevalence, prevalence odds ratio to determine risk factors for MRSA acquisition at 5% level of significance.RESULTS: The median age was 1.7 years (6 months-16 years). Males accounted for 60.7%, and 75% of the participants were under 5 years. Staphylococcus aureus colonization was found in 36.3% of the participants while 5.3% of the participants had MRSA identified by detecting the mecA gene. History of recent surgery in the last six months was the only independent predictor of nasal MRSA colonization among the participants (aOR=12.5; 95%CI: 2.7-50.0.)CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of MRSA colonization observed among the children in this study suggests the need to consider screening children with history of previous surgery as infection control and prevention intervention for MRSA.

Colonización nasal por Staphylococcus aureus y Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina (SARM) en auxiliares de enfermería

“…Así mismo, Nelwan et al (2018), en Indonesia en 384 pacientes adultos (antes de someterse a un procedimiento quirúrgico electivo), encontraron que se detectó S. aureus en el 15,6% de ellos y 0,8% fueron SARM. Además, Tuta et al (2019), en Nigeria, encontraron que entre 300 niños que asistían a la consulta externa, el 36,3% estaba colonizado por S. aureus y el 5,3% eran SARM. De igual manera, Matsumoto et al (2018), en Japón, en un hospital con una alta densidad de infección, en 157 pacientes encontraron que S. aureus resistente a la meticilina prevaleció en el 1,9% de ellos.…”

Ceftaroline Susceptibility among Isolates of MRSA: A Comparison of EUCAST and CLSI Breakpoints

“…Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important bacterial pathogen causing a number of community-acquired and nosocomial infections, including septicemia, skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, and endocarditis ( 1 ). It is a global health problem and the prevalence of MRSA in India ranges from 25–50% ( 2 ).…”

Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hospitalized Patients in Eastern Heilongjiang Province, China

“…Over the years, the MRSA colonization rate, producing infections, has dramatically increased among different populations, the most susceptible being children and elderly >85 years of age. 10 , 11 As such, active screening of MRSA strains has become both necessary and urgent. In this study, we demonstrated that the active screening of nasal vestibular swabs in ICU patients can successfully achieve early detection, early intervention, and early treatment of hospitalized patients.…”