Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among food handlers in Jordan: frequency, risk factors, toxigenicity and antibiotic resistance

Objective: To evaluate the frequency, antibiotic resistance, toxigenicity of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in food chain workers at our institution. Methodology: A total of 160 nasal swabs were collected from food chain workers in Al-karak district in the south Jordan. MRSA and its toxigenicity were detected using cultural and molecular methods. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disc diffusion method. Results: The frequency of MRSA was 18.7% (n=30). There was a significant difference for nasal carriage of MRSA by recent hospitalization workers (p=0.008) or having a family member who was a healthcare worker (p=0.001). Isolates were highly resistant to fusidic acid (33%) followed by rifampicin (17%) and gentamicin (7%). All MRSA isolates were resistant to Cefoxitin. Among S. aureus enterotoxins, SEA was the most commonly reported enterotoxin gene from the isolates, followed by SEH, SED, SEC, SEE, and SEJ, respectively. Conclusion: Food handlers were a potential source for MRSA infection and food poisoning out breaks might be attributed to the carriage of the toxigenic MRSA strains. More hygienic restrictions and infection prevention plan must be applied in food industry to ensure the good food handling and storage.