Dry Collection and Culture Methods for Recovery of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains from Indoor Home Environments

Staphylococcus aureus in home environments may serve as a reservoir for human colonization, making sampling of indoor surfaces relevant to exposure assessment. Using laboratory experiments and application to homes of asthmatic children in Barbados, we characterize microbiological methods adapted for settings with transportation delays between sampling and initiation of culture.