PREVALENCE OF COMMUNITY ACQUIRED METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUSNASAL COLONIZATION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a community acquired infection in the past decade. The cause of the increasing incidence of CA-MRSA infection in previously healthy hosts is not completely understood. From October 2012 to November 2012, a total of 388 children ages between 7 years to 12 years, were screened for carriage of MRSA. The overall prevalence of nasal carriage of MRSA and Staphylococcus aureus were 4 % and 32 % respectively. About 196 (51%) males and 192 (49 %) females. About 284 (73.0%) were ethnic Bajau, 67(17.0 %) ethnic Malay and remaining other races. MRSA and S.aureus colonization was higher in ethnic Bajau 9.0 % and 65.0 % respectively. MRSA colonization was higher in the children ages > 7 to 9 years 7 % but S.aureus colonization was higher (50 %) in the children ages > 10 to 12 years. All 146 isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin. MRSA showed moderate resistance to ceftazidime. All isolates showed moderate to high resistance to erythromycin, penicillin and ampicillin respectively.