Editorial

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: An Established Pathogen with Emerging Infections

Authors: Wael E. Shams, MD

Abstract

Despite the general improvement in public health, the use of potent antimicrobial agents, and the strict application of hospital infection-control measures, the prevalence of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to increase with multidrug resistance as a common phenotype. Analysis of data obtained from The Surveillance Network-USA (TSN), an electronic surveillance network that collects microbiology data from 300 clinical microbiology laboratories across the United States, showed that as of March 2005, MRSA rates were 59.2%, 55%, and 47.9% for strains from non-ICU inpatients, ICU, and outpatients, respectively.1 Mainous et al reported an estimated population carriage of MRSA of 0.84%, or 2.2 million persons, of the noninstitutionalized US population, including children and adults.2

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