Frequency of Staphylococci in Oral Cavity of Healthy Medical Workers

Abstract

Hospitals are the places where infective agents abound. Medical workers may be contaminated by these nosocomial infective agents, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococci. To better understand the potential role ofmedical staffas a reservoir for circulating pathogenic bacteria and their transmission, we analyzed staphylococcal colonization in the oral cavities ofsix medical staffmembers who work at Nihon University Hospital at Matsudo. Oral samples were obtained by swabbing the oral cavities with sterile cotton swabs, and then the inoculated samples were evaluated using routine bacteriological study methods. Staphylococci were detected in the oral samples ofall ofthe medical staff. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most predominant species in the oral cavity (75.1%). None ofthe medical staffwere infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but three ofsix staffmembers possessed methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CNS). Medical staffmembers are both at risk ofinfection and are a potential source of nosocomial pathogens such as methicillin-resistant staphylococci. As a preventive measure against nosocomial infection, it might be necessary to continuously investigate the frequency of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in the oral cavities of medical staff.