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THE OCCURRENCE OF METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (ROSENBACH, 1884) IN COLLEGIATE CONTACT AND NON-CONTACT SPORTS.

Abstract

Staphyloccocus aureus (Rosenbach, 1884) has become a major pathogen because of its increase in antibiotic resistance and is known to infect hospitalized patients along with individuals who are healthy and immune-competent. The purpose of this study was to investigate occurrence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in contact and non-contact sports. The men’s wrestling team (contact) along with the men’s baseball team (non-contact) of Brewton-Parker College participated in this study. To begin with, the participants completed a survey that analyzed hygiene practices, along with positions played, and previous medical history. Subsequently, participants’ nasal areas were swabbed using BBL Culture Swabs during the winter and spring seasons, and transferred into a tryptic soy broth with 6.5% NaCl for 18 hours. Taping tables, an ice machine, ice bath, cooler, and a NormaTec machine were also swabbed. Samples were inoculated on Mannitol Salt Agar and placed in an incubator at 37oC for 48 hours. If the sample tested positive for S. aureus it was plated again on Muller-Hinton agar to test for methicillin resistance using a Kirby-Bauer antibiotic disk diffusion test with oxacillin and chloramphenicol and incubated at 35oC for 16-18 hours. Oxacillin falls in the same class of drugs as methicillin and chloramphenicol is a semisynthetic, broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from Streptomyces venequelae that exhibits bacteriostatic activity. A higher prevalence of MRSA occurred in contact sports (wrestling) – none of the baseball players tested positive for MRSA. There was MRSA present in two athletes of the wrestling team; one case occurred in the winter while the other occurred in the spring, thus there was no difference between the seasons.

Acknowledgements

Division of Math & Natural Sciences, BPC

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