The Comparison of Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization and Its Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Children of Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Non-HCWs

 Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive coccus bacterium responsible for a wide spectrum of human infections. The main colonization site for S. aureus in humans is the anterior nares. Health care workers (HCW) are commonly colonized with resistant microorganisms; however, it is not clear whether close contact with HCW is a risk factor for colonization with resistant microorganisms.

 The aim of the study was the determination of the risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission from colonized parents to their children via daily contact.

 This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Hamadan city, the west of Iran, between October 2016 and March 2017. We defined two groups for our investigation. The first group included 1 - 6 years old children who their mother, father, or both were health care workers (HCW) in university-affiliated hospitals of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, and the second group consisted of children whose parents were not health care workers. Both groups attended day care centers. One hundred and thirty-four children were enrolled in this study, from which 67 had HCW parents, and 67 had non-HCW parents.

 S. aureus colonization rate among children of HCWs was 17.9 % (12/67), and in children of non-HCWS was 32.8% (22/67). The colonization rate was not significantly different between these 2 groups (P = 0.052). Of all the S. aureus isolates, one methicillin-resistant isolate and one clindamycin-resistant isolate were observed. The D-test was positive in 12.1% of clindamycin sensitive isolates

 We recommend the use of anti-staphylococcal penicillin or first-generation cephalosporins in cases of non-life-threatening staphylococcal infections and clindamycin for MRSA infections. Regarding to our results, there is no difference in the choice of antibiotic between children of health care workers and other children. We also recommend avoiding switching therapy from erythromycin to clindamycin.