[MRSA carriership in families of MRSA patients].

Objective: To determine how many family members of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) patients were colonised with MRSA and how this colonisation developed over time.

Design: Descriptive, prospective.

Method: Two laboratories notified the Public Health Services of newly-diagnosed MRSA patients in three provinces of the Netherlands. These persons and their family members were screened for MRSA colonisation at baseline, after 3 to 4 months and after 6 to 12 months. No advice on medical intervention was given. Relevant medical interventions by general practitioners were registered.

Results: Nineteen index patients and their families were included. A total of 41% of the family members (n = 44) proved MRSA positive on at least one of the three tests. At second follow-up the proportion of colonised family members had decreased slightly from 32% to 27%; by the end of the study only a third of the index patients were still MRSA positive. Colonisation of index patients was more persistent if family members were colonised as well.

Conclusion: A large and changing number of family contacts of MRSA-positive patients were shown to be colonised over time, and sometimes in the longer term.