Aim: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important zoonotic agent causing difficulties in treatment of the infections in human and veterinary medicine, due to multiple antibiotic resistances. In this study, the colonization of MRSA was investigated by the swabbing samples from the skin and nasal mucosa of veterinarians, personnel and students and from the environment at clinics of a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Materials and Methods: For this purpose, samples were obtained from 16 veterinarians, 2 clinic personnel and 17 students that each was sampled 4 times and from 41 different environmental surfaces thought to be common sites of hand contact.

Results: Out of 118 S. aureus isolates, 75 (63.6%; 34 veterinarians, 8 personnel, 24 students and 9 environmental surfaces) were found phenotypically resistant to methicillin by a disk diffusion test. All samples taking from two personnel were colonized with phenotypic resistant S. aureus, while the 14 veterinarians and 7 students sampled were carried the phenotypic resistant S. aureus at least to one of samples. Although 24 (20.3%) S. aureus isolated from veterinarians (13 isolates), personnel (1 isolate) and students (10 isolates) were determined to be positive for mecA gene encoded resistance to methicillin, mecA-positive isolates can not be isolated from environmental surfaces at clinics.

Conclusions: It has been determined that MRSA colonization has high in working people and students at the clinic, thus standard sanitation measures, particularly personnel hygiene, are required because of the risk of transmission between humans and animals.