Are toilet seats a vector for transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus?

The researchers studied the bacterial burden on toilet seats in a children's cancer hospital to validate a policy requesting that immunocompromised children use alcohol wipes on the seats prior to use of the toilets. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was recovered from 3.3% of hospital toilets when wipes were not in use. Use of wipes resulted in a 50-fold reduction in mean daily bacterial counts and eliminated MRSA. Am J Infect Control. 2009;37(6):505-6. Epub 2009 Feb 25.