Putting Theory into Practice: Transferring Creativity into Community Wisdom III (2008)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10294/1470

Conference held April 11-12, 2008.

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Browsing Putting Theory into Practice: Transferring Creativity into Community Wisdom III (2008) by Author "Boa, Tyler"

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    University of Regina public computer terminals as reservoirs for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
    (University of Regina, Graduate Students' Association, 2008-04) Boa, Tyler
    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a common infectious threat in the hospital environment as well as within the community. A survey of public computer terminals at the University of Regina was undertaken to determine if the terminals are reservoirs for Methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial isolates were identified from keyboard swabs utilizing differential media, microscan, and genetic analysis. Ten keyboards were sampled on eleven occasions over the period of five months and an additional forty terminals were surveyed over the final four weeks of the project. Of 147 terminals surveyed, 60 were contaminated with isolates presenting typical S. aureus growth on Manitol salt agar. Methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus were present on one and four keyboards, respectively (Further typing of the MRSA strain is conducted through genetic analysis). 31 of 60 enriched samples grew in the presence of oxicliin “(4 mg l-1), indicating a Methicillin (oxicillin)-resistant rich bacterial community. The presence of MRSA combined with the high volume of traffic on these public terminals is a concern and may contribute to the spread of this opportunistic pathogen in the community. Bacterial survey of computers at the Archer Library. Goal was to identify Methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).