Title: Molecular epidemiology and phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis of Community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission: An Emergency Department Population Sampling Strategy FACULTY MENTOR NAME:

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, has significantly amplified healthcare costs. While the sub-strains and transmission patterns of this bacterium are yet to be completely understood, Community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is rapidly proliferating within healthcare settings. Further, there is scarce literature focusing on the transmission of CA-MRSA within community settings and the impact of this transmission on the increased prevalence of CA-MRSA infections in healthcare settings. Novel uses of molecular tools, such as whole genome sequencing (WGS) and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis, are resulting in more powerful phylogenetic and phylogeographic techniques that can infer origin and transmission of MRSA subtypes over time and through a geographic area, especially when combined with patient level information. Emergency departments have become the entryway for large populations of patients into the healthcare system and represent an extensive frontline when considering an interface for transmission interface between community and hospital settings. A well-planned isolate sampling strategy in emergency department populations may facilitate opportunities to conduct spatiotemporal analyses and hypothesis testing, which could be essential to developing novel strategies for infection control and eradication of this particularly virulent agent.