Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus on the Hands of Health-Care Workers and the Environment of a Nigerian University Health Centre

doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v4i11.7

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections continue to be an important public health issue with unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality. Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of infections in the hospital. This research aimed at giving a better understanding of the prevalence of S. aureus in a hospital setting in order to adequately account for its potential threat. A total of 115 samples comprising 65 environmental samples obtained from trays, bed railings, doorknobs, and other surfaces of patient wards and 50 hand swabs of health-care workers were screened for S. aureus using established microbiological techniques. Twenty-eight isolates each represented positive cultures from environmental and hand samples, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined for the S. aureus isolates using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay. The antibiotic resistance pattern for the hand and environmental isolates respectively gave the following results: Ciprofloxacin (32.14%, 21.43%), Trimethoprim/ Sulphamethoxazole (60.71%, 67.86%), Oxacillin (28.57%, 35.71%), Erythromycin (21.42%, 17.86%), Gentamicin (42.86%, 28.57%), Tetracycline (17.86%, 21.42%), Penicillin (42.86%, 42.85%). Twelve resistant phenotypes were  identified, of which Ciprofloxacin-Gentamicin- Trimethoprim/ Sulphamethoxazole (CIP-CNSXT) was predominant. This study shows that the hands of health-care workers and the hospital environment could serve as potential vehicles of transmission of S. aureus infections, thus highlighting the need for effective infection control measures.