ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus are primarily distinguished through their genetic characteristics. These strains carry the smaller types of staphylococcal cassette chromosome, specifically types IV and V. These infections occur mostly in healthy younger patients, and have been linked to such severe clinical conditions as necrotizing pneumonia and sepsis. A higher risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contagion exists among incarcerated sub-populations; therefore, this study investigated colonization rate and risk factors among the residents of the Taif Social Correctional Center. METHODOLOGY: The study included 93 inmates and 19 employees. Specimens were collected from participants' noses and hands and from different environmental locations. The isolated organisms were identified according to standard microbiological methods. Methicillin resistance was evaluated using the standard cefoxitin disk diffusion method and oxacillin screen agar procedure. Methicillin resistance was further confirmed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: High methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization rate was found among the center residents (24.7%) and employees (15.8%). Long duration of residence in the correctional institution and bad hand hygiene emerged as prominent risk factors for this colonization. An antibiogram categorized the isolated strains into six phenotypes, with a predominance of two antibiotic-resistant patterns suggesting cross-contamination and the presence of local foci of dissemination. CONCLUSIONS: Taif Social Correctional Center residents exhibited a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization than was found in similar institutions. Poor personal hygiene and infection control measures are likely the major contributors to the problem.
