Table 1 Differences in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) colonization in 101 healthy US military personnel in the US and 100 US military personnel deployed to Afghanistan

Demographics

 Afghan

 Total

 Afghan

T otal

 Number of personnel (isolates)

4 (6)

 8 (10)

32 (65)

72 (136)

 Age median (IQR)

23 (22,23)

23 (23,24)

23 (22,26)

22 (21,25)

 Gender – males%

100

75

100

84

 Operations off the military base^a

 4

 4

25

25

Location of isolate colonization

 Nares

 2

 2

24

39

 Oropharynx

 2

 5

16

41

 Axilla

 0

 4

 8

 Groin

 0

 6

13

 Hand

 1

 1

 6

10

 Foot

 1

 1

 9

17

 Perirectal

 1

 8

Number of sites colonized by subject ^b

 1

 2

 6

 15

36

 2

 2

 2

 8

17

 3

 0

 4

11

 4

 0

 3

 6

 5

 0

 2

 2

Personnel co-colonized at multiple sites

 Nares and oropharynx

 1

 1

 6

 8

 Nares and hand

 1

 Nares and axilla

 1

 1

 Nares and groin

 1

 3

 Nares and perirectal

 1

 Hand and foot

 1

 1

 Oropharynx and perirectal

 1

 Oropharynx and foot

 1

 Groin and hand

 1

 Nares, oropharynx and groin

 1

 2

 Nares, oropharynx and perirectal

 1

 2

 Nares, axilla and perirectal

 1

 Nares, groin and foot

 1

 2

 Nares, oropharynx and foot

 1

 2

 Nares, oropharynx and hand

 1

 2

 Axilla, groin, foot and perirectal

 1

 Nares, oropharynx, axilla and foot

 1

 Nares, oropharynx, groin and foot

 1

 Nares, hand, groin and foot

 1

 1

 Nares, oropharynx, axilla and hand

 1

 1

 Nares, oropharynx, hand and foot

 1

 1

 Nares, oropharynx, axilla, hand and foot

 1

 1

 Nares, oropharynx, axilla, groin and foot

 1

 1