Molecular Diversity of Colonizing the Upper Respiratory Tract of Residents and Staff in A Nursing Home.

Elderly people living in nursing homes are a high-risk population for infection. Multiple comorbidities, a weakened immune system, inadequate hygienic conditions, and crowding might increase the prevalence rates of this opportunistic pathogen. However, the epidemiological aspects, genetic diversity, and transmission of in nursing homes are still poorly understood, especially in Poland. This study aimed to determine the genetic relatedness and prevalence of colonization of isolated from the anterior nares and the throat of residents and staff in a nursing home located in Lublin, Poland. The study showed a high prevalence rate among participants (46.1%), yet there was a low frequency of MRSA strains among residents (1.7%) and staff (0%). The multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat fingerprinting (MLVF) analysis demonstrated a high degree of genetic diversity of strains colonizing the anterior nares and the throat of the participants. The occurrence of simultaneous colonization with more than one unique strain in any one individual as well as the incidence of colonization with the same genetic variant of in different individuals was observed. These findings suggest that inter-participant transmission might contribute to the development of cross-infections. Elderly people living in nursing homes are a high-risk population for infection. Multiple comorbidities, a weakened immune system, inadequate hygienic conditions, and crowding might increase the prevalence rates of this opportunistic pathogen. However, the epidemiological aspects, genetic diversity, and transmission of in nursing homes are still poorly understood, especially in Poland. This study aimed to determine the genetic relatedness and prevalence of colonization of isolated from the anterior nares and the throat of residents and staff in a nursing home located in Lublin, Poland. The study showed a high prevalence rate among participants (46.1%), yet there was a low frequency of MRSA strains among residents (1.7%) and staff (0%). The multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat fingerprinting (MLVF) analysis demonstrated a high degree of genetic diversity of strains colonizing the anterior nares and the throat of the participants. The occurrence of simultaneous colonization with more than one unique strain in any one individual as well as the incidence of colonization with the same genetic variant of in different individuals was observed. These findings suggest that inter-participant transmission might contribute to the development of cross-infections.