Incidence and Prevalence of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusNasal Carriage Among Healthcare Workers in Geriatric Departments: Relevance to Preventive Measures

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcs aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage was assessed among healthcare workers caring for elderly patients in contact precautions in geriatric departments. Monthly incidence ranged from 0% to 3.3%. Carriage was observed only among nurses and nursing assistants. MRSA was thus infrequently acquired using precautions and carriage was usually transient.