MRSA, Mersa, Staph, Staff Infection, Treatment & Symptoms

Gram Negative Infections Outpace MRSA

Controversies in Hospital Infection Prevention: Infections in the ICU: New data, new insights.

This week's JAMA contains an important paper and editorial for all of us in infectious diseases and hospital epidemiology. The EPIC II study was a one-day point prevalence study of infections in 1,265 ICUs in 75 countries involving 13,796 adult patients. Key findings include: * 51% of the patients had infections (this includes both community-acquired and hospital-acquired) * 71% of the patients were receiving antibiotics * Gram-negative organisms accounted for 61% of the infections (up from 39% in the EPIC-I study done 15 years ago) * MRSA accounted for 10% of infections

Hospital Infections Killing more than road accidents

MRSA Action UK urges the government to follow European Antibiotic Awareness Day with its pledge for a public information and awareness campaign - politics.co.uk.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control stated in its 2008 Annual Report on Communicable Diseases that over four million people in the EU acquire a healthcare-associated infection every year, of those approximately 37,000 die as a direct result of the infection. The death toll from healthcare-associated infections is comparable to the number of people who die each year in road traffic accidents in the EU. It is estimated that 20–30 % of all such infections could be prevented by better hygiene and infection control procedures. The report provides the evidence of the scale of the problem and proposes some measures to both improve the monitoring of these infections and successfully reduce them.

Patients catching MRSA bugs on Sydney wards | The Daily Telegraph

Patients catching bugs on wards | The Daily Telegraph.

FOUR patients a week admitted to Sydney's biggest hospital, Westmead, are being infected with potentially lethal golden staph and MRSA infections picked up while in the wards, hospital documents show. An investigation into where every one of the reported 2392 hospital-acquired infections, some known as "superbugs", occurred in 2008 in public hospitals showed Westmead topped the list, but other big hospitals including John Hunter, Liverpool, Blacktown and Royal North Shore were not far behind.

'MRSA' turns up at Washington beaches

'Superbug' turns up at Washington beaches.

The discovery of a difficult-to-treat bacteria in the sand of five Washington state beaches is no reason for B.C. residents to stay away from the shore, said B.C.'s chief medical health officer. "It's one thing to find it in sand; it's entirely another thing to know whether or not there are any implications for human health," Perry Kendall said yesterday. The "superbug" MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, was found at five of 10 beaches studied by Marilyn Roberts, a microbiologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. Staph bacteria were found at nine of 10 beaches. Digging in the sand or getting covered in it increased the risk of infection, Roberts found. The discovery is significant because it suggests MRSA and Staph bacteria have spread from hospital settings and are more prevalent in the community than previously thought.

MRSA Infection Patterns Overview

The infection patterns category brings together information on how MRSA has spread around the world and new insights into how it spreads. In the coming months it will be edited to help you find information on specific nations etc. If you have arrived at this page from a search engine you might like to check the front page of the website for a guide to what information you can find on this site. Go to front page

Canadian MRSA lower than expected

Report of hospital infections aims to improve patient safety - Timmins Daily Press - Ontario, CA.

All 228 hospital sites in Ontario sent numbers of the most serious MRSA and VRE infections, bloodstream infections called bacteraemia, to the province. From September through November, there were 61 cases of MRSA bacteraemia and 10 cases of VRE bacteraemia reported in Ontario. Dr. Michael Baker, the province's executive lead for patient safety, said the numbers are lower than expected when compared with the United Kingdom and United States. "We expected more of a problem than we actually found," said Baker. "I'm very pleased to see low numbers of the serious infections, which is the bloodstream infections, and very pleased to see there are few hospitals that haven't already controlled their infection rates."

Rates of hospital-acquired infection rising in Canada

Rates of hospital-acquired infection rising in Canada.

A new study, based on a survey of Canadian hospitals, has revealed that hospital-acquired infection rates continue to rise and that for want of funding, infection-control programs continue to fall well short of expert recommendations. The study, conducted by Canadian researchers, found significant increases in the rates of major communicable bacterial infections—including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)—over a seven year period from 1999 to 2005. The study, published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, targeted acute care hospitals and demonstrated that the rates of MRSA more than doubled in the period from 1999 to 2005. C. difficile infections also tended to rise over the same period, while the number of hospitals reporting new cases of infection with VRE climbed 77 per cent.

35 die of MRSA in Virginia

VIRGINIA BRIEFING - washingtonpost.com.

In the first year Virginia began tracking drug-resistant staph infections, 1,380 cases were reported and at least 35 people died. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) ordered medical labs across the state to report serious cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, to the state Health Department last year after a 17-year-old Bedford County boy died. Millions of people routinely carry staph bacteria on their skin or in their nasal passages. Many infections are relatively mild, and the body successfully fights the germ. But this virulent strain of the microbe can turn minor cuts and sores into life-threatening conditions. ad_icon Only about 30 percent of the cases reported between Dec. 1, 2007, and the end of this November listed a known outcome, so the number of deaths could be higher.

MRSA grows 50% in 3 years in Ontario

A globeandmail.com: Superbug MRSA cases hit record level in Ontario.

Ontario has recorded its highest number of superbug MRSA cases - a troubling sign that the pernicious invader has made significant inroads in hospitals. Specifically, the number of cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has increased by more than 50 per cent over a three-year period, with 16,498 patients infected or colonized with MRSA in 2007, according to figures provided by Ontario's Quality Management Program-Laboratory Services. By comparison, a total of 10,301 patients were infected or colonized with the superbug in 2004, according to Allison McGeer, director of infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, who analyzed the data for the laboratory services program. (Being colonized with MRSA means the patients are carriers who are not infected and show no symptoms.)

Infections Kill 170,000 a year in USA

New Report Finds Rising Risk of Infectious Diseases in U.S..

The Trust for America's Health (TFAH) released a new report today, “Germs Go Global: Why Emerging Infectious Diseases Are a Threat to America,” which finds that at least 170,000 Americans die annually from newly emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, a number that could increase dramatically during a severe flu pandemic or yet-unknown disease outbreak. Factors including globalization, increased antimicrobial (drug) resistance, and climate and weather changes are contributing to the increased threat. "Infectious diseases are not just a crisis for the developing world. They are a real threat right here, right now to America's economy, security, and health system," said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. "Infectious diseases can come without warning, crossing boarders, often before people even know they are sick. Americans are more vulnerable than we think we are, and our public health defenses are not as strong as they should be." The report also finds that the nation's defenses against emerging infectious diseases are insufficient, creating serious consequences for the U.S. health system, economy, and national security.

5% MRSA Carriers in UK?

Dorset County Hospital Enhances MRSA Surveillance Programme Through Rapid Patient Screening, England.

t has been estimated that about 5 in 100 people carry MRSA bacteria on their skin. In fact, the Health Protection Agency reported 1,805 infected patients within the UK from January to June 2008. The bacteria can enter the body through open wounds, injections, catheters and IV sites making in-hospital patients extremely susceptible to infection. People with weak immune systems are also more prone to the illnesses brought on by the bacteria, including blood poisoning, organ infection and lung infection. Owing to the risk carriers pose to themselves and other patients, the Department of Health has actually set out guidance for all elective patients to be screened by March 2009.

MRSA sinus infections on the rise

MRSA sinus infections on the rise - Related Stories - ANA SmartBrief.

A study found the percentage of patients with acute sinusitis with MRSA isolates increased from 30% to 69% from 2001 to 2006 and chronic sinusitis cases with MRSA rose from 27% to 61%. Researchers say it is important to do routine endoscopic cultures, especially for patients who do not respond to anti-microbial treatment.

Baylor University in Campus MRSA Check

Baylor University || Marketing & Communications || News.

The Baylor researchers took samples from 736 students who lived on and off campus and found: • Of the 736 students, 149, or 20.2 percent, carried staph and seven, or less than one percent, carried MRSA, which is a strain of staph resistant to methicillin and other related penicillin antibiotics commonly used to treat it. Of the seven students who carry MRSA, researchers found a variety of strains based on antibiotics sensitivity patterns: o Three students had colonies that were resistant to the antibiotics Oxacillin and Penicillin, a common pattern seen in community acquired MRSA. o Two had colonies resistant to Oxacillin, Penicillin and Erythromycin; one had colonies resistant to Oxacillin, Penicillin, Erythromycin, Ciprofloxacin and Cindamycin; and one had colonies resistant to Oxacillin, Penicillin, Erythromycin and Neomycin. o Most of the staph strains identified in the study were sensitive to 10 of the 12 antibiotics tested; resistance to different antibiotics is usually associated with staph found in health care settings. • Researchers also studied risk factors such as the students' type of living communities, roommate ratio, their hometowns and whether they shared a bathroom.

Chile tracking CA MRSA

HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

Community acquired infections with methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have a more aggressive clinical course and involve mostly skin and lungs. These infections appear as outbreaks among prisoners, sportsmen, men having sex with men and military personnel. The higher aggressiveness of these strains is due to the production of several toxins, mainly Panton- Valentine leukocidine. The detection of the gene that codes for this toxin is a distinctive feature of these strains. We report five patients with community acquired MRSA infections. The clinical presentation was a skin infection in all. One patient had a pleuropneumonia in addition. Apart for resistance to beta-lactam antimicrobials, the strains were resistant to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. Patients were treated with vancomycin, clotrimoxazole or intravenous clindamycin with a good evolution. An epidemiological surveillance for community acquired MRSA strain infections should be started and measures to adequately treat infected patients and avoid dissemination should be implemented.

11 MRSA strains circulating in Turkey

HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

A total of 900 patients were screened for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on hospital admission, and 11 MRSA strains (1.2%) were detected. All 11 MRSA strains were positive for the mecA and PVL genes. Eight of the 11 MRSA-positive patients (72%) had a history of hospitalization within the previous 12 months.

MRSA & Ear Infections

HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

The origin of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from otolaryngology outpatients has not been evaluated yet in Korea. We analyzed epidemiologic and genetic characteristics of MRSA isolates from the ear discharge of 64 outpatients with chronic otitis media in a Korean University Hospital during 2004. MRSA strains were grouped as either from the initial visit (n=33) or the follow-up visit (n=31) based on the timing of isolation. Healthcare-associated risk factors were frequently present among patients of the initial visit group, especially prior visit to primary clinic (79%) and antibiotic use (73%). SCCmec typing and multilocus sequence typing results showed that two genotypes, ST5-MRSA-II and ST239-MRSAIII, were prevalent in both the initial visit (73% vs. 24%) and the follow-up visit (55% vs. 42%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified eight types, including two major types shared by both groups. We conclude that majority of MRSA strains from ear discharge of chronic otitis media belonged to nosocomial clones that might be circulating in the community. This is the first report of the genetic analysis of MRSA strains from otolaryngology practices in Korea.

CA MRSA in China

HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

To investigate the genetic features of the community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) prevalent in West China. METHODS: Three CA-MRSA isolates obtained in Chengdu, Sichuan, underwent SCCmec (Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec) multi-PCR, Staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) method, and their Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) gene was also detected. RESULTS: All 3 CA-MRSA isolates were positive of mecA gene (147 bp), and the other PCR product of 750 bp was confirmed to be type IVa SCCmec. Spa typing showed that the MRSA strains s29635 and s35301 were typed as t437, and the strain s19165 was typed as t008. MLST showed that the MRSA strains s29635 and s35301 were typed as ST59, and the strain s19165 was typed as ST8. The strains s19165 and s35301 were all positive for PVL gene, and the strain s29635 was negative for PVL gene. CONCLUSION: CA-MRSA clones ST8-t008 and ST59-t437 have been isolated in West China.

CA MRSA Invading zero tolerance countries

Emergence and characterization of community associated methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus infections in Denmark, 1999-2006 -- Larsen et al., 10.1128/JCM.01557-08 -- Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

The epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has changed worldwide. From being strictly nosocomial, MRSA is now frequently found as a community associated (CA) pathogen. Denmark has been a low prevalence country for MRSA since the mid-1970s, but has in recent years experienced an increasing number of CA-MRSA cases. The aim of this study was to describe the emergence of CA-MRSA infections in Denmark. All Danish MRSA specimen and corresponding clinical data during 1999-2006 was investigated. Isolates were analyzed by antibiotic resistance, molecular typing and assigned to clonal complexes (CC). Clinical data were extracted from discharge summaries and general practitioners notes from which assessment of community association was determined for all infected cases. CA-MRSA constituted 29.4 % of all MRSA infections (n=1790) and an increasing proportion of the annual numbers of MRSA infections in the study period. CA-MRSA was associated with young age, skin and soft tissue infections, and non-Danish origin. Transmission between household members was frequently reported. Molecular typing showed >60 circulating clones, where 89.4% of the isolates belonged to five CCs (CC80, CC8, CC30, CC5 and CC22), 81.2% carried SCCmec IV and 163/244 (69.4%) were PVL positive. Clinical and microbiological characteristics indicated that import of MRSA occurs frequently. Resistance to ≥ three antibiotic classes was observed in 48.8% of the isolates. The emergence of CA-MRSA in Denmark was caused by diverse strains of both well-known and new CA-MRSA strains. The results suggest multiple introductions of MRSA as an important source for CA-MRSA infections in Denmark.

Superbug Rates on the Rise in the USA

Superbug Rates on the Rise.

Hospitalizations for two nasty superbugs are simultaneously rising in many states, researchers say. One is the potentially dangerous diarrhea bug known as Clostridium difficile, or C. diff. The other is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body, including the skin, the bloodstream, the lungs, and the urinary tract. Both pathogens are tough to treat as they are often resistant to commonly used antibiotics. From 2003 to 2005, hospitalizations rates rose in 23 of 26 states reporting these outcomes, says Andrew Ramsey, MPH, of the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health at Amherst.

Gulf State Hospital Battles MRSA

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A POTENTIALLY fatal superbug is sweeping Salmaniya Medical Complex, officials admitted yesterday. At least 10 to 12 cases of highly-infectious MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) are confined to a specialised ward. Several others are scattered throughout the hospital, chief of medical staff Dr Amin Al Sa'ati admitted. He said that there were "a lot of patients" with MRSA in the hospital and insisted this was not unusual. Dr Al Sa'ati admitted they could be "better looked after", such as in individual isolation rooms, but said they were receiving the best possible treatment with the best possible drugs available. MRSA, which is the most common form of hospital acquired infection, normally does not affect a healthy person but can be fatal for severely compromised patients suffering from cardiac diseases or diabetes. Sources said that several patients who had been admitted to the hospital for treatment of complications from diabetes or cardiac problems had ended up in Ward 12, because they had contracted MRSA.