ABSTRACT

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is S. aureus that has become resistant to different antibiotics and is more hazardous. The aim of this prospective study was to determine S. aureus and MRSA prevalence in nasal samples obtained from young, healthy Omani medical, nursing, and biomedical science students attending Sultan Qaboos University. A total of 100 nasal samples were collected randomly from young, healthy adult Omani volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years. Volunteers were recruited among biomedical, medical, and nursing students studying at Sultan Qaboos University. Samples were collected from October 4, 2019, to December 29, 2019. The data collected from each volunteer included name, age, gender, and the department in which the volunteer was studying. A nasal swab was analyzed microbiologically for the presence of MRSA. The total number of S. aureus nasal carriers detected among young, healthy adult Omani volunteers was 18 (18%). Three out of the eighteen volunteers with S. aureus-positive were nasal carriers of MRSA. The three MRSA-positive nasal samples were detected in biomedical student volunteers. The prevalence of MRSA nasal carriers was higher among biomedical students than among medical and nursing students. The prevalence of MRSA nasal carriers among biomedical students was 3%. MRSA was not detected in the medical and nursing students. Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Young healthy adults volunteers, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Publication date: 01/02/21

https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2021/February/MS_IJBPAS_2021_5353.pdf

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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2021/10.2.5353