Abstract A total of 812 nasal swabs taken from the staff at 3 Helsinki city hospitals were examined. The carrier rate was 26%. Coagulase-positive staphylococci resistant to methicillin occurred in one hospital in 3%. They were multiple resistant. Strains belonging to phage group III dominated, accounting for 35%. Staphylococci of types 83A and 53/83A totalled 9% and those of type 6557 7%.