Determining the Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteria in Nasal Swabs from Restaurant Workers in Al- Kut City

Antibiotic resistance represents a global challenge to modern medicine, and among the most critical resistant pathogens is Staphylococcus aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and the patterns of antibiotic resistance among nasal swab samples collected from restaurant workers in Al-Kut City. A total of 110 nasal swabs were obtained from food handlers and analyzed using standard microbiological techniques, including selective culturing on mannitol salt agar, coagulase testing, and Vitek2 identification. The D-test was used to assess inducible clindamycin resistance in MRSA isolates. Of the samples analyzed, 23 tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus, with 16 identified as MRSA and 9 as methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed varying resistance rates among isolates, including 60.8% resistance to cefoxitin, 73.9% to oxacillin, 43.4% to vancomycin, 65.2% to erythromycin, 43.4% to clindamycin, 47.8% to ciprofloxacin, 17.4% to gentamicin, and 4.4% to chloramphenicol. These findings suggest a high prevalence of S. aureus carriage and antibiotic resistance among food handlers, underscoring the necessity of implementing regular screening and treatment programs in the food service industry to mitigate the risk of staphylococcal foodborne infections and protect public health.