Vol. 114, No. 12 EnvironewsOpen AccessUnwelcome Guest: Airborne Staph in Homesis accompanied byIsolation of Staphylococcus aureus and Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Residential Indoor Bioaerosols Carol Potera Carol Potera Search for more papers by this author Published:1 December 2006https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.114-a715bCited by:2AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit Staphylococcus aureus, one of the most prevalent causes of infections of the blood, skin, soft tissue, and lower respiratory tract, spreads through close contact with contaminated people and surfaces. Although a few studies hint that airborne transmission of the microbe may be involved in hospital infections, no studies have examined indoor levels of S. aureus outside of a hospital setting. The first study to monitor S. aureus bioaerosols in residences shows that strains of the bacterium are common inhabitants of indoor and outdoor air [EHP 114:1859–1864; Gandara et al.]. Moreover, indoor strains are particularly resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics.During March, April, and May 2006, researchers cultured S. aureus from bioaerosol samples collected at 24 one-story homes in El Paso, Texas. They treated the bacterial colonies with three common antibiotics—ampicillin, penicillin, and cefaclor—to assess drug resistance.All the indoor samples contained airborne S. aureus, as did nearly half of the outdoor samples. S. aureus levels inside the homes averaged 15.39 colony-forming units (CFU) per m3 air, and outdoor samples averaged 12.63 CFU per m3. About half the indoor samples were resistant to ampicillin, 60% were resistant to penicillin, and 13% were resistant to cefaclor. Samples of S. aureus collected outside the homes proved more susceptible to antibiotic killing, with 34% resisting ampicillin, 42% resisting penicillin, and 14% resisting cefaclor. In addition, about 14% of all S. aureus samples showed multidrug resistance, meaning the sample withstood both cefaclor and either penicillin or ampicillin. No other investigators have measured household levels of aerosolized S. aureus resistant to antibiotics, so the results have no basis for comparison.The health consequences of living with S. aureus bioaerosols were not assessed in this study. The researchers plan to evaluate health risks associated with bacterial bioaerosols, such as whether elevated levels of drug-resistant S. aureus in indoor air parallel increases in community-acquired infections—that is, infections acquired outside a hospital setting.The prevalence of drug-resistant S. aureus infections continues to rise, and rather than being confined largely to hospitals, such infections are increasing in the community, particularly in children. These new findings suggest that residential exposure to aerosolized S. aureus and a possible link to community-acquired S. aureus infections deserve further study.Down in the west Texas townA study in El Paso, Texas, shows evidence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus within residences.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited By Mentese S, Rad A, Arısoy M and Güllü G (2011) Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Bioaerosols in Indoor Urban Environments, Ankara, Turkey, Indoor and Built Environment, 10.1177/1420326X11425965, 21:6, (797-810), Online publication date: 1-Dec-2012. Mentese S, Arisoy M, Rad A and Güllü G (2009) Bacteria and Fungi Levels in Various Indoor and Outdoor Environments in Ankara, Turkey, CLEAN - Soil, Air, Water, 10.1002/clen.200800220, 37:6, (487-493), Online publication date: 1-Jun-2009. Related articlesIsolation of Staphylococcus aureus and Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Residential Indoor Bioaerosols7 September 2006Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 114, No. 12 December 2006Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 December 2006Published in print1 December 2006 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.