Distribution of pathogenic microorganisms isolated from dental hospital workers in Korea

With the significant rise in hospital infection management in dental hospitals as well as in hospitals, and in order to identify the distribution of pathogenic bacteria on hands and nasal cavity of workers in a dental hospital, bacteria from the hands and nasal cavities of six dentists and 44 dental hygienists from four dental hospitals were investigated. The results showed Staphylococcus aureus (13), Staphylococcus capitis (1), Staphylococcus epidermidis (12), Staphylococcus hominis (4), Staphylococcus warneri (3), Staphylococcus xylosus (14), Staphylococcus. Lugdunensis (1), and Neisseria spp. (2) were isolated from the nasal cavity and Staphylococcus aureus (9), Staphylococcus capitis (4), Staphylococcus epidermidis (16), Staphylococcus hominis (8), Staphylococcus warneri (5), Staphylococcus xylosus (22), Staphylococcus leutus (3), Micrococcus spp. (4), Staphylococcus cohnii (1), Serratia marcescens (2), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3), Klebsiella pneumonia (2) and Pseudomonas pneumotropica (1) from the hands. An antimicrobial disk diffusion test was conducted on Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the hands and nasal cavity to detect MRSA by means of oxacillin. Two strains were detected. When the genes of penicillin binding protein 2 (mecA) were detected from the 2 strains, MRSA was found from both strains. The results of this investigation on the distribution of various pathogenic bacteria and MRSA on hands and nasal cavity of workers of a dental hospital, will contribute to the basic data for the future infection management in a dental hospital.