Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are a national concern for public health and hospital officials due to the opportunistic nature of the bacteria and the emergence of resistance to several antibiotics. In 2013, the MRSA incidence rates were 58.7 and 73.0 per 100,000 persons per year in the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of the Navy (DON) beneficiary populations, respectively; this is a 59% decrease for the DOD and DON since 2005. The majority of MRSA infections within the DOD and DON in 2013 were outpatient, community-associated (CA), and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs); similar patterns were observed since 2005. In the DOD from 2005-2013, MRSA isolates showed decreased susceptibility to cefazolin. However, MRSA showed increased susceptibility to erythromycin and cefotaxime in both the DOD and the DON, and to gentamicin in the DON only. The proportion of MRSA cases with inducible clindamycin resistance is increasing, with a 31.3% increase in the DOD and a 65.3% increase in the DON from 2005 to 2013. Military prescription practices in 2013 were consistent with treatments recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

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