High prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage among infants at the Children’s Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Fleischer CN Kotey; Sandra A Awugah; Nicholas TKD Dayie; Patience B Tetteh-Quarcoo; Samuel Duodu; Mary-Magdalene Osei; Jeannette N Bentum; Mame Y Nyarko; Margaret L Neizer; Khalaf F Alsharif; Ibrahim F Halawani; Khalid J Alzahrani; Eric S Donkor

doi:10.3855/jidc.14839

High prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage among infants at the Children’s Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Authors

Fleischer CN Kotey Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
Sandra A Awugah Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
Nicholas TKD Dayie Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
Patience B Tetteh-Quarcoo Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
Samuel Duodu Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Mary-Magdalene Osei Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
Jeannette N Bentum FleRhoLife Research Consult, Teshie, Accra, Ghana
Mame Y Nyarko Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Margaret L Neizer Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Khalaf F Alsharif Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
Ibrahim F Halawani Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
Khalid J Alzahrani Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
Eric S Donkor Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.14839

Keywords:

Multidrug resistant, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Infants, PCR, mecA

Abstract

Introduction: Infants are at risk of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonization and infection. The aim of this study was to investigate S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) colonization among infants, including the prevalence, predictors of colonization, and antibiogram.

Methodology: The study was cross-sectional, and involved infants aged less than one year recruited at the Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Sociodemographic and clinical data of the participants were gathered with a structured questionnaire. Nasal swabs were also obtained from them and bacteriologically cultured. S. aureus was confirmed with the coagulase test, and MRSA was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the mecA gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of S. aureus was done using the Kirby-Bauer method.

Results: The carriage prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA were 34.9% (45/129) and 17.10% (22/129), respectively. Colonization with coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) was protective of both S. aureus (OR = 0.008; p < 0.001) and MRSA (OR = 0.052; p = 0.005) carriage. Maintenance of good hand hygiene prevented S. aureus carriage (OR = 0.16; p < 0.001). S. aureus resistance to antibiotics decreased across penicillin (96%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (61%), tetracycline (61%), erythromycin (39%), gentamicin (39%), fusidic acid (26%), rifampicin (17%), clindamycin (7%), and linezolid (0%); 68.8% S. aureus were multidrug resistant.

Conclusions: S. aureus and MRSA prevalence were high among the infants. Colonization with CoNS and good hand hygiene maintenance were predictive of MRSA and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) colonization, respectively.

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Published

2022-09-30

How to Cite

Kotey FC, Awugah SA, Dayie NT, Tetteh-Quarcoo PB, Duodu S, Osei M-M, Bentum JN, Nyarko MY, Neizer ML, Alsharif KF, Halawani IF, Alzahrani KJ, Donkor ES (2022) High prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage among infants at the Children’s Hospital, Accra, Ghana. J Infect Dev Ctries 16:1450–1457. doi: 10.3855/jidc.14839

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Issue

Vol. 16 No. 09: September 2022

Section

Original Articles

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