Surveillance on meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection in a neonatal intensive care unit

Meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection is a significant health concern in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Bacterial colonization increases the risk of subsequent infection, leading to morbidity and mortality. To report the findings of a retrospective cohort study on the surveillance of MSSA colonization and infection in NICU patients. The weekly microbial surveillance results for MSSA colonization in the throat, nose, anus, and groin, as well as invasive and non-invasive MSSA infections, were analysed from November 2020 to June 2022. The MSSA infection and colonization risk were compared after adjustment for confounders by stepwise logistic regression analysis. Three hundred and eighty-three neonates were screened; 42.8% (N=164) were MSSA colonized. Significant risk factors for MSSA colonization were length of stay, vaginal delivery and extreme low gestational age