INTRODUCTION: The genus Staphylococcus is responsible for a great number of bacterial infections in human, mainly in hospital environment. OBJECTIVES: In view of these considerations and the importance of nursing care and nosocomial infection control, this study verified the rate of S. aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) carriers resistant to oxacillin in nursing students during their university course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nasal samples were collected from Nursing students at Botucatu School of Medicine - UNESP. RESULTS: From 109 isolated samples of Staphylococcus, 30 samples (27.5%) were Staphylococcus aureus and 79 samples (72.5%) were CNS. From 79 identified CNS samples, 63 (79.7%) were S. epidermidis, nine (11.4%) S. warneri, three (3.8%) S. haemolyticus, two (2.5%) S. capitis, one (1.3%) S. simulans and one (1.3%) S. lugdunensis. The antibiotic susceptibility test showed 100% sensibility to the drugs in S. aureus samples and among 79 CNS samples, 10 (12,6%) were resistant to oxacillin. The PCR technique demonstrated negative result for mecA gene in S. aureus samples and 11 positive samples among CNS species. DISCUSSION: There was no relation between the rate of S. aureus carriers and nosocomial involvement during the course. The results also showed a higher incidence of resistance in CNS samples, which is seemingly reported in the scientific literature.
Staphylococcus; Carriers state; Students; Nursing
