Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important bacteria that cause disease in humans, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has become the most commonly identified antibioticresistant pathogen in many parts of the world. MRSA rates have been stable for many years in the Nordic countries and the Netherlands with a low MRSA prevalence in Europe, but in the recent decades, MRSA rates have...

INTRODUCTION Controversy exists about the benefit of screening for prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in intensive care units (ICUs) and recent studies have shown conflicting results. The aim of this observational study was to describe and evaluate the association between MRSA incidence densities (IDs) and screening and control measures in ICUs participating in the...

In 2003 in the Netherlands, a new methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain emerged that could not be typed with Sma1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (NT-MRSA). The association of NT-MRSA in humans with a reservoir in animals was investigated. The frequency of NT-MRSA increased from 0% in 2002 to >21% after intensified surveillance was implemented in July 2006. Geographically, ...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of nosocomial infections that result in extended hospital stays and increased mortality. Therefore, rapid, cost-effective techniques for surveillance and detection of MRSA are critical to the containment and prevention of the spread of MRSA within the health care environment. We examined the ability of 3 chromogenic media (Sp...

OBJECTIVE To assess the incidence and impact of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections on cardiac surgery outcomes and to identify adverse outcome traits. METHODS Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from cardiac surgical and microbiology databases between April 2000 and March 2005. The overall and yearly incidence of positive MRSA cultures was examine...

In the summer of 2006, a previously healthy 16 year old individual presented to the local Accident and Emergency Department, of a Northern Ireland hospital, with a 1.5cm diameter abscess over the left great toe, surrounded by cellulitis. The lesion had failed to respond to oral flucloxacillin prescribed by the family doctor. Apart from trauma to the toe three weeks previously, the patient had n...

Background & Objective: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is reported as one of the important bacterial causes of burn wound infections. This study was carried out to investigate molecular characterization of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) isolated from Iranian burn patients. Methods: A total of 31 isolates of S. aureus<...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been a pathogen of serious concern to both the health care and public health communities since the 1960s. This article focuses on the most serious strains of MRSA, hospital-acquired/health care-associated MRSA. Signs and symptoms of MRSA infection are described, in addition to the modes of transmission, laboratory techniques for identifying...