MRSA in children - study commences

Link: CDR Weekly, Vol 15 no 21: News.

A 13-month study of bacteraemia in children, caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) will start on 1 June 2005. The study is being undertaken across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland by the Health Protection Agency in collaboration with the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit, St George’s Hospital, London, Health Protection Scotland, and the National Disease Surveillance Centre, Dublin. Analysis of reports routinely submitted to LabBase* has indicated that although the numbers of cases of MRSA bacteraemia in children remain low, there has been, nonetheless, an upward trend, rising from 4 in 1990 to 76 in 2004, although the latter figure is still provisional (1). The number of reports has remained constant in the last few years with around 70 to 75 cases reported each year. As the above data were derived from voluntary reporting of cases they probably under-estimate the true incidence of infection. The main aim of the study is to obtain a robust estimate of the incidence of MRSA bacteraemia in children.