Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci Species Isolated From Computer Keyboards Located in Secondary and Postsecondary Schools

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Author list: Boa TT, Rahube TO, Fremaux B, Levett PN, Yost CK

Publisher: National Environmental Health Association

Place: DENVER

Publication year: 2013

Journal acronym: J ENVIRON HEALTH

Volume number: 75

Issue number: 6

Start page: 50

End page: 58

Number of pages: 9

ISSN: 0022-0892

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a public health threat within the general community, thereby warranting identification of MRSA reservoirs within the community. Computer terminals in schools were sampled for S. aureus and methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The overall prevalence of MRSA on computer keyboards was low: 0.68% for a postsecondary institution and 2% and 0% for two secondary institutes. The MRSA isolate from the postsecondary institution did not correspond to the Canadian epidemic clusters, but is related to the USA 700 duster, which contains strains implicated in outbreaks within the U.S.The isolate from the secondary institute's keyboard was typed as CMRSA7 (USA 400), a strain that has been implicated in both Canadian and U.S. epidemics. Methicillin-resistant S. haemolyticus and S. epidermidis were also isolated from keyboards, indicating that a mixed community of methicillin-resistant staphylococci can be present on keyboards. Although the prevalence was low, the presence of MRSA combined with the high volume of traffic on these student computer terminals demonstrates the potential for public-access computer terminals and computer rooms at educational institutes to act as reservoirs.

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