Epidemic of MRSA

Reuters
This is a must read article. Below is only a short extract

What's particularly worrisome, one researcher told Reuters Health, is that these infections are being acquired in the community -- not the hospital, as has been the usual case until now. In Corpus Christi, Texas, the occurrence of community-acquired MRSA infections in children, which started occurring in the 1990s, "has now reached epidemic proportions," Dr. Kevin Purcell and colleagues warned.

In 1999, there were 9 cases of community-acquired MRSA documented at Driscoll Children's Hospital. The number jumped to 36 in 2000, 105 in 2001, 278 in 2002, and 459 in 2003. Purcell told Reuters Health that among 1002 cases of MRSA skin infections seen in Corpus Christi children between 1990-2003, 93 percent occurred outside the hospital, and 98 percent of these children had no risk factors that would increase their likelihood of catching MRSA.

"Ninety-four percent of the community-acquired MRSA cases were localized infections of the skin and soft tissues, meaning that 6 percent were invasive and potentially life-threatening infections (e.g. sepsis, pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome)," he said. Nearly all of the MRSA infections were susceptible to other antibiotics

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