The influence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers in a nursery and transmission of MRSA to their households

We examined two persistent MRSA-carrier nurses in a maternity hospital to elucidate the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from healthcare providers to newborn infants and to the nurses' own families. Genotyping of the MRSA strains was performed by analyzing genomic DNA restriction length polymorphisms from pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE-RFLPs). The children of these nurses were carrying genotypically identical MRSA strains as their mother. Both MRSA carrier families remained asymptomatic over a two-year follow-up period. Eradication of nasal MRSA carriage from the two nurses resulted in declining MRSA carriage rates among infants in the nursery. Healthcare providers may become transient or persistent MRSA carriers whilst working in hospitals in which MRSA is endemic. They may then become a source of infection for patients as well as the:ir own families. We recommend that healthcare providers should be examined for MRSA if an MRSA epidemic occurs in a hospital. The families of any such carriers should also be examined for MRSA.