Abstract
The laboratory of Training and Research in Medical Biology of Madagascar conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the rate of S. aureus nasal carriage of pig and poultry Malagasy farmers. Pig and poultry farmers from capital town of Madagascar were selected for nasal swabs collection with information on potential risk factors for S. aureus colonization, including animal exposure. Nasal swabs from 180 farmers (M/F sex ratio: 0.74), enabled isolation after culture and biochemical identification, 69 (38.33%) S. aureus strains among which 45 (25%) were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Risk factors analysis revealed that farming duration, number of animals, direct contact with poultry, and frequent contact with manure increased risk of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage. Likewise, farm practices that imply close contact with pigs such as food distribution and pigsty washing increased risk of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage among pig farmers. Among MRSA isolates, resistance rate to other antibiotics was similar to that of MRSA isolates from the non-farmer Malagasy population. However, gentamycin resistance was noticeably higher (32.5% versus 4.44%). This study shows a high rate of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage with high rate of multidrug resistance among healthy people frequently in contact with animals. A strategic policy against the spread of multidrug-resistant strains is desirable in farms and veterinary areas.
Highlights
The laboratory of Training and Research in Medical Biology of Madagascar conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the rate of S. aureus nasal carriage of pig and poultry Malagasy farmers
The prevalence of LA-MRSA strains generally ranges from 20% to 63%, and close contact with animals has been identified as a nasal carriage risk factor for farmers/veterinary workers [6,7]
Nasal swabs were collected from 90 pig farmers and 90 poultry farmers
Summary
The laboratory of Training and Research in Medical Biology of Madagascar conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the rate of S. aureus nasal carriage of pig and poultry Malagasy farmers. The prevalence of LA-MRSA strains generally ranges from 20% to 63%, and close contact with animals has been identified as a nasal carriage risk factor for farmers/veterinary workers [6,7]. Prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage has been estimated to be 33.7% (116/304) with MRSA nasal carriage around 14.7% (45/304) among potentially ill Malagasy people [9]. To explain this high prevalence rate, the authors suspected the implication of self-medication and misuse and abuse of antibiotics. Antibiotic consumption is a well-known nasal carriage risk factor [2], and such drugs are available without prescription in the Malagasy community
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