Table 5.

Strain diversity by culture methods and body niche

Sites	Overall				METHODS
					Direct plating to BAP				Broth enrichment to BAP				Direct plating to Spectra MRSA				Broth enrichment to Spectra MRSA
	Genotypic		Phenotypic		Genotypic		Phenotypic		Genotypic		Phenotypic		Genotypic		Phenotypic		Genotypic		Phenotypic
	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)	Mean	Median (Range)
All sites	3.1	2.5 (1–6)	1.7	1.0 (1–4)	2.1	2.0 (1–4)	1.3	1.0 (1–3)	2.3	2.0 (1–4)	1.5	1.0 (1–4)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)
Anterior Nares	2.8	2.0 (1–6)	1.6	1.0 (1–4)	2.6	2.0 (2–4)	1.4	1.0 (1–3)	1.8	1.5 (1–3)	1.3	1.0 (1–3)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)
Axillae	2.0	2.0 (1–4)	1.4	1.0 (1–2)	2.3	2.0 (2–3)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)	1.6	1.0 (1–3)	1.7	2.0 (1–2)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)
Inguinal Folds	1.9	2.0 (1–3)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)	1.4	1.0 (1–2)	1.2	1.0 (1–2)	1.9	2.0 (1–3)	1.3	1.0 (1–2)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)	1.0	1.0 (1–1)

Abbreviations: BAP, blood agar plate; MRSA, methicillin-resistant S. aureus

Note: n/a – no isolates recovered using direct plating to Spectra MRSA from axillae cultures. Data represented as the mean and median (range) number of genotypic and phenotypic strain types by culture method at each body site. Range represents the minimum and maximum number of strain types recovered.