# Prevalence, Virulence Determinants, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli Isolated from Computer Devices Used by Staff and Students at a Northern Thailand University

## TL;DR

This study found that computer devices in a Thai university occasionally harbor harmful bacteria like S. aureus and E. coli, some of which are antibiotic-resistant.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the presence and resistance profiles of S. aureus and E. coli on university computer devices in Northern Thailand.

## Key findings

- 18.5% of sampled devices had S. aureus, with 29% prevalence on student personal-use devices.
- 5.4% of S. aureus isolates were MRSA, and 50% of E. coli isolates were multidrug-resistant.
- Computer devices can act as occasional reservoirs for pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in university settings.

## Abstract

Computer devices in university settings are frequently shared and repeatedly handled, making them potential reservoirs for pathogenic bacteria. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, virulence determinants, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from computer devices used by staff and students at a university in Northern Thailand. A total of 400 computer devices were sampled, with each device defined as a single sampling unit comprising both the keyboard and computer mouse. Bacterial identification was performed using PCR, while staphylococcal enterotoxin (se) genes and diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC)-associated virulence genes were detected by PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed using the disk diffusion method. Overall, 74 (18.5%) S. aureus isolates and 6 (1.5%) E. coli isolates were recovered. The highest prevalence of S. aureus was observed among personal-use student computer devices (29%; p < 0.001), whereas E. coli was most frequently detected on public-use staff computer devices (4%). Among S. aureus isolates, 24.3% (18/74) carried at least one se gene, with sec being the most prevalent (13.5%). Half of the E. coli isolates harbored the astA gene. Low resistance rates (<10%) were observed among S. aureus; however, four isolates (5.4%) were classified as MRSA, three of which exhibited multidrug resistance. All E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin, and 50% displayed multidrug-resistant phenotypes. These findings suggest that computer devices can act as occasional reservoirs of potentially pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in university environments.