Background: Microorganisms are ubiquities and constitute chief part of the ecosystem. They are responsible to cause different diseases to human. Among them is Staphylococcus aureus. Unhygienic use of the toilet facilities can promote the spread of the pathogen between the users and contaminants. The adaptation of the organism to commonly used antimicrobial pressure is raised as a series problem.

Objective: This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of S. aureus isolates and test their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern from toilet door handles of hospitals and selected secondary schools in Sodo town, southern Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross sectional prospective study was carried out from December 2017 to May 2018. A total of 348 samples were collected and the swab samples were cultured on blood agar and Β-hemolytic colonies were identified and sub-cultured on manitol salt agar and incubated for 24 hours at 37°c. Gram staining and biochemical tests were carried out to confirm pure isolate. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was done by disc diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar.

Result: From the total 348 samples, 104 (29.88%) showed S.aureus growth. Out of this, 65 (37.35%) were isolated from hospitals samples and the remaining 39 (22.41%) from secondary school samples. The isolates showed variability in susceptibility pattern to antibiotics. The resistance to penicillin and chloramphenicol were found to be 100% and 63% respectively.

Conclusion: S. aureus isolates frequency was high in both hospitals and schools. The majority of the toilets both in hospitals and selected secondary schools lack proper sanitation systems. Relatively high resistance to antimicrobial drugs was observed in hospital isolates in comparison to school isolates. Vancomycin, Amikacin, gentamicin and Ofloxaicin were among the drugs showed efficient activity against the isolates.