Staph Infections Taken Home

MRSA was identified from the nasopharyngeal swabs of 87 HCWs, collected one to two weeks after contact with 592 known MRSA-positive patients. These HCWs were withdrawn from work and treated with topical antibiotics/antiseptics. They were screened for successful eradication for up to three months. Seventy-three (84%) HCWs lost their carrier status. The eradication regimen failed in 14 cases. In 11 of these MRSA was detected only in later nasopharyngeal swabs (suspected recolonization). Screening identified nasal colonization of close household contacts in eight of these 11 cases. Environmental sampling detected contamination in seven out of eight screened home environments. When eradication treatment was applied to household contacts and when household surfaces were cleaned and disinfected, the carriage cleared in most cases within a few weeks. However, when home environments are heavily contaminated, despite adequate medical treatment, eradication took up to two years.

Hosp Infect. 2005 Mar;59(3):180-7.

Bed, bath and beyond: pitfalls in prompt eradication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carrier status in healthcare workers.

Kniehl E, Becker A, Forster DH.ZLMT, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Klinikum Karlsruhe, Moltkestr.