Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1
ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
2
Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
3
Microbiology Department, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.22092/ari.2025.367233.3367
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major contributor to both hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections, with healthcare workers exhibiting a high prevalence of MRSA colonization. This research focused on assessing the prevalence of mupirocin resistance among nasal MRSA carriers in intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare workers. Nasal swabs were obtained from hospitalized patients and healthcare staff, and S. aureus was identified through biochemical and microbiological tests. Antibiograms were conducted on isolated strains, employing a 30 μg cefoxitin disc for MRSA detection, while mupirocin resistance was identified using the Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for mupirocin was determined using E-test strips, and the presence of the mupA and mupB genes was confirmed via PCR.
Of the 81 S. aureus isolates collected from nasal carriers, 20 (24.69%) originated from ICU staff, while 61 (75.31%) were from patients. MRSA constituted 77.7% (63/81) of the isolates overall. High-level mupirocin resistance was observed in 34.56% (28/81) of isolates when tested with a 200 µg mupirocin disc, with the mupA gene detected in the same proportion of isolates. Notably, no low-level mupirocin resistance or mupB gene presence was identified in this study. Resistance rates to other antibiotics included rifampin (74.07%), penicillin (87.65%), amikacin (34.56%), gentamicin (56.79%), tetracycline (83.95%), erythromycin (100%), and clindamycin (100%). No resistance was observed for linezolid or Synercid.
The study revealed higher mupirocin resistance among healthcare workers compared to patients, underscoring the need for regular screening of healthcare staff and comprehensive antibiotic resistance profiling to mitigate MRSA transmission within hospital settings.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)