Nasopharyngeal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in a rural population, Sierra Leone.

Background: Nasopharyngeal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for subsequent infection. Isolates from colonization can therefore provide important information on virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance when data from clinical isolates are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess colonization rates, resistance patterns and selected virulence factors of S.