Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in 4–6 age groups in healthy children in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey

Aim: Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of disease, particularly for colonized persons. Although methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection has frequently reported, population-based S. aureus and MRSA colonisation estimates are lacking. Our objective in this report is to present the prevalance of S. aureus carriage among 4–6 age groups healthy children in our region.

Methods: Nasal samples for S. aureus culture were obtained from healthy children. Sociodemographic features and the data related with risk factors were obtained from the parents of the children. Nasal swabs were inoculated on to a variety of bacteriological culture media, which were then incubated at 35 ± 1°C for 16–18 h. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates was determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI, 2005) guidelines.

Results: In this study 1134 children between 4 and 6 years old age were evaluated; 607 (53.5%) of the subjects were boys and 527 (46.5%) were girls. S. aureus was isolated in 322 (28.4%) subjects and MRSA was isolated in 3 (0.3%) subjects of them. All of the MRSA isolates were found in healthcare workers' children.

Conclusions: This first assessment of this study is that nearly one third of the 4–6 age group healthy children population present nasal carriage of S. aureus in Turkey. However, it also shows that the rate of MRSA carriage remains low. In addition, it is considered that MRSA colonization may be a risk factor for healthcare workers' children.