High Prevalence of MRSA in Portuguese Buses
Author Information
Author(s): Simões Roméo Rocha, Aires-de-Sousa Marta, Conceição Teresa, Antunes Filipa, da Costa Paulo Martins, de Lencastre Hermínia
Primary Institution: Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
Hypothesis
Are public buses in Portugal a reservoir for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)?
Conclusion
Public buses in Oporto are a significant reservoir of MRSA, indicating that a major hospital-associated MRSA clone is spreading into the community.
Supporting Evidence
- 22 out of 85 buses (26%) showed MRSA contamination.
- 91% of the MRSA isolates belonged to a single clone, EMRSA-15.
- EMRSA-15 is the major lineage circulating in Portuguese hospitals.
Takeaway
This study found that many public buses in Portugal have a lot of a harmful germ called MRSA, which usually comes from hospitals. This means that the germ is spreading to places where many people go.
Methodology
Handrails of 85 public urban buses were screened for MRSA contamination using sterile gauzes and various molecular typing methods.
Limitations
The study only screened buses in Oporto and did not assess the prevalence of MRSA in the general population.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website