Rapid PCR detection of the methicillin resistance gene, mecA, on the handsof medical and non-medical personnel and healthy children and on surfaces in a neonatal intensive care unit

The hands of medical personnel are the chief vectors for transmission of an tibiotic-resistant bacteria and probably serve as an important reservoir fo r antibiotic resistance genes in hospitals. In this survey we examined diff erent reservoirs of the methicillin resistance gene, mecA, using a simplifi ed PCR method. Samples (n = 151) were taken from the hands of medical and n on-medical personnel and healthy children and from surfaces in a neonatal i ntensive care unit (NICU). We also performed sampling from 4 different body sites in 5 of the medical personnel. Fifteen out of 16 nurses (94%) from t he ICU carried the mecA gene on their hands, whereas only 35% of the paedia tric nurses were mecA-positive. Of all medical personnel, 44% carried the m ecA gene on their hands. There was a significant difference (p < 0.015) bet ween medical and non-medical personnel in terms of the carriage rate of mec A. Four samples from surfaces in a NICU - 2 ventilators, 1 bench and 1 tele phone - were positive for mecA. Our results are comparable with those from previous studies on reservoirs of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci using conventional culture techniques.