Epidemiological and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nasal cavity of healthcare personnel at a public hospital in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional survey
7 affiliations
- 1Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (LAMIDI), Department of Health Sciences, University of Maranhão (UEMA), Caxias, Maranhão Brazil
- 2Department of Statistics, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais Brazil
- 3Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Keiso Asami Institute (iLIKA), Recife, Pernambuco Brazil
- 4Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- 5Department of Microbiology, Awolowo University, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Keiso Asami Institute (iLIKA), Ile-Ife, Recife, Osun State, Pernambuco Nigeria Brazil
- 6Laboratory for Teaching, Research and Extension in Microbiology and Parasitology (LEPEMP), University of Pernambuco, Campus Ouricuri, Ouricuri, Pernambuco Brazil
- 7Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Academic Center of Vitória (CAV) and Keiso Asami Institute (iLIKA), Recife, Pernambuco Brazil
Abstract
Nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus among healthcare professionals represents a potential risk for the spread of resistant strains in hospital settings. Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of nasal colonization by S. aureus and to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolated strains from professionals working in a public hospital in Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil. This study was carried out from December 2024 to February 2025. A total of 132 professionals working in a public hospital in the state of Maranhão were included. Among the participants, 36 (27.27%) were colonized by S. aureus, and 6 isolates (16.66%) were identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). High resistance rates were observed to penicillin G and ampicillin (94.4%), as well as to the macrolides erythromycin (83.3%) and azithromycin (77.8%). Resistance to tetracycline was detected in 11.1% of the isolates, with 22.2% showing intermediate susceptibility. All isolates were susceptible to clindamycin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin. Regarding risk factors, working in two healthcare locations compared to one remained significantly associated with nasal colonization after adjustment (OR = 3.15–3.50; p < 0.05), whereas longer professional experience was identified as a protective factor (OR ranging from 0.11 to 0.17; p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the circulation of multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains among healthcare professionals and highlight the importance of active surveillance, rational antimicrobial use, and strengthened infection control strategies to reduce the spread of resistant pathogens in hospital environments.
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BibTeX
@article{alencar2026epidemiological,
title = {{Epidemiological and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nasal cavity of healthcare personnel at a public hospital in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional survey}},
author = {Francisco Italo Gomes Alencar and Francisco Marques da Silva Neto and Nayara Maria Barbosa de Sousa and Ana Alice Venancio Correia and Maria Anndressa Alves Agreles and José Carlos da Rocha Neto and Danilo Elias Xavier and Damilola Joseph Olaoye and Luís André de Almeida Campos and Francisco Laurindo da Silva and Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti},
journal = {Brazilian Journal of Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1007/s42770-026-02126-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-026-02126-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epidemiological and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nasal cavity of healthcare personnel at a public hospital in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional survey
AU - Francisco Italo Gomes Alencar
AU - Francisco Marques da Silva Neto
AU - Nayara Maria Barbosa de Sousa
AU - Ana Alice Venancio Correia
AU - Maria Anndressa Alves Agreles
AU - José Carlos da Rocha Neto
AU - Danilo Elias Xavier
AU - Damilola Joseph Olaoye
AU - Luís André de Almeida Campos
AU - Francisco Laurindo da Silva
AU - Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Brazilian Journal of Microbiology
DO - 10.1007/s42770-026-02126-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-026-02126-0
AB - Nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus among healthcare professionals represents a potential risk for the spread of resistant strains in hospital settings. Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of nasal colonization by S. aureus and to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolated strains from professionals working in a public hospital in Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil. This study was carried out from December 2024 to February 2025. A total of 132 professionals working in a public hospital in the state of Maranhão were included. Among the participants, 36 (27.27%) were colonized by S. aureus, and 6 isolates (16.66%) were identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). High resistance rates were observed to penicillin G and ampicillin (94.4%), as well as to the macrolides erythromycin (83.3%) and azithromycin (77.8%). Resistance to tetracycline was detected in 11.1% of the isolates, with 22.2% showing intermediate susceptibility. All isolates were susceptible to clindamycin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin. Regarding risk factors, working in two healthcare locations compared to one remained significantly associated with nasal colonization after adjustment (OR = 3.15–3.50; p < 0.05), whereas longer professional experience was identified as a protective factor (OR ranging from 0.11 to 0.17; p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the circulation of multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains among healthcare professionals and highlight the importance of active surveillance, rational antimicrobial use, and strengthened infection control strategies to reduce the spread of resistant pathogens in hospital environments.
SN - 1517-8382
SN - 1678-4405
ER -