GENETIC SIMILARITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS ISOLATED FROM NOSE AND MOBILE PHONES OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WORKING IN THE OPERATING ROOM AND INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus colonized in the nose of healthcare workers is an important risk factor for the development of hospital-acquired staphylococcal infections. Cross-contamination of this bacterium between the hands of healthcare workers and the surfaces they contact is known. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clonal relationship between eight S. aureus strains isolated from the nose of healthcare providers and five S. aureus strains isolated from mobile phones carried by healthcare providers