Background: The prevalence of Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) within the general public has caused outbreaks in groups of people in close quarters such as military barracks, gyms, day care centres and correctional facilities. Correctional facilities are of particular importance for spreading MRSA, as inmates are often in close proximity and have limited access to hygienic products and clean clothing. In Ethiopia, there is a limited number of studies about methicillin-resistant S. aureus

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... n the prison setting. Therefore, this study aimed to determine nasal carriages rate, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and associated risk factors of MRSA among prisoners in Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1 to March 30/2020 on 329 prisoners. Nasal swabs were collected and processed on blood agar and Mannitol salt agar plates. The isolates were identified as S. aureus based on morphology, coagulase test, and mannitol salt agar fermentation. Disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Methicillin-resistance by S. aureus was confirmed by using cefoxitin (30μg). Data entry and statistical analysis was done using SPSS Version 20. Results: Out of the 329 prisoners, 115(35%) carried S. aureus, of which 35/115 (30.4%) were MRSA. Therefore, 10.64% of all prison inmates were identified as MRSA carriers. MRSA carriage rate was highest among the age groups of 24-34 and 35-45, which was 12 (34.3). Penicillin showed the highest rate of resistance among MRSA and MSSA isolates (100%). The multi-drug resistance rate was very high (50.4%). Among 115 S. aureus isolates, about 2(7.4%) showed inducible Clindamycin resistance. Conclusion: The high rate of nasal MRSA carriage among prisoners found in this study is alarming and highlights the need for adjusted infection control measures to prevent MRSA transmission within inmates or to the community during their discharge.