We found an average S. aureus nasal colonization rate of 19.3%, which is comparable to previously described colonization rates in the general population in Europe and the United States [21,22]. The low prevalence of MRSA isolates, 10 (1.3%) was also found to be consistent with studies from Europe. We observed a positive association between previous dispensation of any antibiotics and isolation of MRSA, but caution is needed as MRSA was only isolated in 1.3% of the individuals in our study. This is consistent with previous hospital studies where antibiotic surgical prophylaxis increases nasal carriage of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci [23]. Evidence seems to indicate that the endogenous microflora of the patient may be critical since clinical studies have found that S. aureus skin colonisation increases the risk of a subsequent infection by three-fold, and up to 80% of cases of staphylococcal bacteraemia are caused by strains identical to those in the patient’s nasal cavity [24]. Furthermore, patient colonisation with S. aureus is associated with a 2–9-fold increased risk of infection [25].