PREVALENCE AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROFILE OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Staphylococcus aureus is a hospital and community-acquired pathogen that causes a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to endocarditis and fatal pneumonia. This study was carried at Institute of Public Health in Tirana, Albania from June 2011 to 2014. A total of 756 isolates of S. aureus were included in the study. These strains were obtained from various clinical samples like pus, sputum, urine, blood, and body fluids from the inpatients and outpatients at University Hospital Center “Mother Theresa” in Tirana, Albania. A total of 756 isolates of S. aureus were obtained from different clinical samples from inpatients (66.3%) and outpatients (33.7%) of the hospital. Pus (39.6%), sputum (15.1%) and nasal secretions (11.1%) accounted for the majority of isolates), followed by blood and body fluids. Methicillin resistance was documented in 187 (24.7%) of 756 isolates (fig. 1). 94 (50%) of MRSA isolates were collected from outpatients whereas 93 (50%) were collected from inpatients. The prevalence rate of MRSA was found to be 24.7% (12). The majority of MRSA strains were isolated in pus (55.1%), blood (14.4%), sputum (10.7%), body fluids (10.2%), nasal secretions (5.9%), urine (2.1%) and bronchial lavage (1.6%). The most effective way to prevent MRSA infections is by doing continuous surveillance of antibiotic resistance profiles of local S. aureus isolates to formulate antibiotic policies and effective infection control practices.