Faecal Carriage of Staphylococcus Aureus in Infantile Enteritis due to Enteropathic Escherichia Coli

Abstract

Faecal and nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus was sought in 67 in-patients with enteritis due to enteropathic Escherichia coli and in 74 contact in-patients withouth enteritis. There was a significantly higher carriage rate of Staph. aureus in the nose and faeces of patients with enteritis. A quantitative increase also was found in the carriage of faecal staphylococci in these patients. The carriage rate of methicillin resistant Staph. aureus at both sites was twice that of controls. This increase was not found to be due to antibiotic treatment. The presence of Staph. aureus was not associated with increased severity of clinical symptoms. The importance of faecal carriage as a reservoir was shown by isolation of faecal staphylococci from the air during nappy changing. The high isolation rate of Staph. aureus in patients with enteritis may lead to this organism being mistaken for the etiological agent and the need to look for unusual serotypes of enteropathic E. coli in the presence of a typical clinical picture is stressed.