2000 Volume 41 Issue 4 Pages 169-174
We examined the prevalence of Staphylococcus species and Candida albicans in swabbed samples from elderly persons who live together in a nursing home. Samples were obtained from 48 elderly persons from 64 to 101 years of age who required daily nursing care. The percentages of Staphylococcus species, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Candida albicans detected in samples from the elderly were 95.8%, 4.2%, and 77.1%, respectively. Pulsefield gel electrophoresis analysis of isolated strains from two subjects indicated identity of two strains, suggesting an MRSA infection in this nursing home. The numbers of C. albicans cells recovered in samples were correlated with the numbers of Staphylococcus species (ρ=0.441, p<0.001).
