Staphylococcus aureus recovery from cotton towels

Staphylococcus aureus is an emerging pathogen afflicting healthy individuals without known risk factors, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been shown to colonise multiple family members sharing households. Because household items such as towels are often shared by family members, this study investigated whether cotton towel absorbency or washing conditions affect Staphylococcus aureus cell viability or cell retention, and whether the levels may be sufficient for person-to-person transmission. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2009;3(3):224-8.