Purpose: To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in community-acquired skin infections in Lomé, Togo.
Patients and methods: A prospective study including 90 cases of skin infection observed in dermatological outpatients at the teaching Hospital of Lomé was carried out from 1st June 2003 to 30th May 2005. A bacteriological sample with antibiograms was obtained from all patients.
Results: Mean patient age was 21 years (extremes, 6 months to 78 years). The male-to- female ratio was 0.84. Infection was primary in 80% of cases including impetigo in 42.2%, follicular infection in 28.9%, and abscess in 8.9% and secondary in 20% of cases including eczema in 8.9%, mycosis in 3.3%, and other in 7.8%. Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated in a total of 84 cases (93.3%). Staphylococcus aureus occurred alone in 79 cases (87.8%) or in association with other bacteria in 5. A total of 30 of the 84 Staphylococcus aureus strains (35.7%) isolated were methicillin-resistant. Resistant strains were associated with primary infection in 24 cases and secondary infection in 6. CONCLUSION. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of community-acquired skin infections in Lomé. One third of Staphylococcus aureus strains are methicillin-resistant. These findings should be taken into account in daily practice for prescription of antibiotics to patients presenting these infections.