Community‐Acquired Methicillin‐ResistantStaphylococcus aureusin Hospitalized Adults and Children without Known Risk Factors

Abstract

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are not commonly recognized in healthy patients without predisposing risk. We performed a retrospective study of patients hospitalized with community-acquired MRSA infections from 1992 to 1996 in Honolulu to determine if community-acquired MRSA infections occurred in patients without known risk. Patients hospitalized within the previous 6 months or transferred from other hospitals or nursing homes were excluded. Epidemiological and clinical data were obtained from an inpatient chart review. Ten (71%) of 14 patients with community-acquired MRSA infection had no discernible characteristics of MRSA infections. Thirteen (93%) patients had skin or soft-tissue infections and one patient had MRSA pneumonia. Isolates from patients with MRSA infection were more likely to be susceptible to ciprofloxacin (P = .05), clindamycin (P = .03), and erythromycin (P = .01) than were those from MRSA-colonized patients. In our population, the majority of community-acquired MRSA infections occurred in previously healthy individuals without characteristics suggestive of MRSA transmission.

The prevalence and source of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the community in Hong Kong

“…These are more typical of community strains reported elsewhere [5,35]. One of these carriers, subject B had no reported contact with healthcare facilities.…”

Novel Phenol-soluble Modulin Derivatives in Community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Identified through Imaging Mass Spectrometry

“…4 Hospital-associated MRSA is a longstanding concern within hospitals and healthcare centers, primarily due to transmission between healthcare workers, patients, and surgical instrumentation (4). However, over a decade ago, the epidemiology of MRSA infection shifted, as infections also spread to the community (CA-MRSA), frequently arising in healthy individuals with no predisposed risks (5). CA-MRSA strains typically present in localized skin or soft tissue infections but also can spread systemically to cause potentially life-threatening diseases, including sepsis and endocarditis (6).…”

Antibody-mediated enhancement of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

“…bacterial pathogenesis | immunity | Panton-Valentine leukocidin | MRSA I nfection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains in otherwise healthy individuals has become a serious public health issue (1)(2)(3). Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) causes primarily skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) (2,4), but also can cause severe necrotizing pneumonias, usually secondary to a viral respiratory tract infection (1,5).…”

“…Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) causes primarily skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) (2,4), but also can cause severe necrotizing pneumonias, usually secondary to a viral respiratory tract infection (1,5). Production of the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a characteristic of CA-MRSA strains (4), but PVL's contribution to pathogenesis of S. aureus is controversial (6)(7)(8)(9).…”