Are gymnasium equipment surfaces a source of staphylococcal infections in the community?

Kathleen A. Ryan, Cristos Ifantides, Christopher Bucciarelli, Heidi Saliba, Sanjeev Tuli, Erik Black, Lindsay A. Thompson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

To determine the staphylococcal colonization of gymnasium surfaces, we obtained cultures of 5 gym surfaces, before and after routine cleaning in 3 local gyms, 3 separate times. Of 240 cultures, none was positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA). Gym surfaces do not appear to be reservoirs for staphylococci; therefore, surface-to-skin contact in gymnasiums does not likely play a significant role in community transmission of MRSA or MSSA.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)148-150
Number of pages3
JournalAmerican Journal of Infection Control
Volume39
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • colonization
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  • methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus
  • MRSA
  • MSSA

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases

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