The Evaluation of Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization in Patients with Acute Folliculitis: A Case-control Study

Abstract

Objective: The prevalence and incidence of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage vary according to the population studied. It is known that there is a link between recurrence of staphylococcal skin infections and nasal carriage. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage and microbiological profile of the nasal cultures in patients with acute folliculitis without a history of recurrence, to compare the results with the control group, and to evaluate the demographic factors on bacterial growth. Material and Methods: A case-control study was conducted in a secondary state hospital between May and August 2021. A total of 120 patients diagnosed with acute folliculitis in a dermatology outpatient clinic were enrolled in the study. Patients’ demographics including age, gender, job, having a family history of folliculitis, history of visiting a barber regularly, having a health care worker in the family, and localization sites of folliculitis were recorded. Patients' and control groups’ microbiological data from nasal swab cultures were also recorded. Results: There was bacterial growth in 29.1% of the patients’ nasal cultures. Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus was the most frequently isolated microorganism both in the patient and control groups. There was no statistical difference between patients and controls in terms of microbiological profiles and bacterial growth in nasal swab culture. Conclusion: S. aureus nasal colonization of patients with acute folliculitis has similar rates with the healthy population. S. aureus nasal carriage does not appear to be a risk factor and reservoir in patients with acute folliculitis. 2022 by Türkiye Klinikleri.