MRSA Found in 4% of Healthcare Workers

According to Medscape Medical News, approximately 4% of healthcare workers tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a large screening effort, a new analysis reports.

Carlos Guerra, MD, from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, presented the findings here at the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections 2010.

According to Kerri A. Thom, MD, MS, assistant professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, other studies have shown a similar rate of MRSA carriage in healthcare workers.

Dr. Thom emphasized that all healthcare workers should practice Standard Precautions when caring for patients. "By following these guidelines, healthcare workers are protecting both themselves and their patients from the transmission of potential pathogens."