Prevalence of Multidrug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Nasal Cavities of MOUAU Students

Aim: To determine the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal cavity of MOUAU students.

Methods: The nasal specimens were evaluated using standard microbiological techniques and methicillin resistance test was checked for all isolates of Staphylococcus species by the disc diffusion method.

Results: A total of Eleven (11) Staphylococcus aureus isolates were obtained from forty (40) nasal samples of MOUAU students i.e. four (4) from female and seven (7) from male. This study also showed that the highest number and percentage of Staphylococcus aureus isolates was observed in the male nasal samples 7(30.4%), while the lowest isolate was recorded in female nasal samples 4(23.5%). About 21(52.5%) of the 40 samples showed no traces of Staphylococcus specie. However, the drug susceptibility profile of bacterial isolate from nasal samples reveals varying percentage of sensitivity and resistance to the antibiotics. From this study, Ofloxacin (5 mcg) and Gentamicin (10 mcg) exhibited high percentage of sensitivity against the Staphylococus isolates at 10(90.9%) each. Cefuroxime (30 mcg) and Ceftazidime (30 mcg) showed high level of resistance against the Staphylococcus aureus isolates at 11(100%). No resistance to Ofloxacin (5 mcg) was noted. This study also revealed that 72.7% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the nasal cavity of healthy male and female students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), showed multiple resistance to the antibiotics used.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need to discourage the misuse of antibiotics and to implement strategies that could help eliminate of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus. This will help to prevent severe Staphylococcus aureus infections in our environments. Also, it was report that Ofloxacin (5 mcg) and Gentamicin (10 mcg) antibiotics could be an alternative choice to use and to control MRSA infection as an effective antibacterial agent.