Skip to main content
Log in

Epidemiology of MRSA

  • Published:
Infection Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Staphylococcus aureus is recognized as one of the major causes of infections in humans occurring in both the community and the hospital. Up to now one of the most serious aspects as far as treatment ofS. aureus infections is concerned is resistance to methicillin, which in clinical terms indicates resistance to all β-lactam antibiotics. The growing incidence of methicillin-resistantS. aureus (MRSA) infections worldwide, their multidrug resistance, several reservoirs of resistant strains, the facility to spread also outside hospitals and to cause outbreaks requires efficacious infection control measures. For this reason microbiological and epidemiological studies are of crucial importance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Martin, M. A.: Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus: the persistent nosocomial pathogen. Curr. Clin. Top. Infect. Dis. 14 (1994) 170–191.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hiramatsu, K., Hanaki, H., Ino, T., Yabuta, K., Tenover, F.C.: Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus clinical strain with reduced vancomycin susceptibility. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 40 (1997) 135–136.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Smith, T. L., Pearson, M. L., Wilcox, K.R., Cruz, C., Lancaster, M.V., Robinson-Dunin, B., Tenover, F.C., Zervos, M.J., Band, J.D., White, E., Jarvis, W.R.: Emergence of vancomycin resistance inStaphylococcus aureus. N. Engl. J. Med. 340 (1999) 493–501.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hartman, B. J., Tomasz, A.: Low affinity penicillin-binding protein associated with beta-lactam resistance inStaphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 158 (1984) 513–516.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. De Lencastre, H., de Jonge, B. L. M., Matthews, P. R., Tomasz, A.: Molecular aspects of methicillin resistance inStaphylococcus aureus. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 33 (1994) 7–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Chambers, H. E.: Methicillin resistance in staphylococci: molecular and biochemical basis and clinical implications. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19 (1997) 781–791.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Couto, I., de Lencastre, H., Severina, E., Kloos, W., Webster, J. A., Hubner, R. J., Santos Sanches, I. S., Tomasz, A.: Ubiquitous presence of a mecA homologue in natural isolates ofStaphylococcus sciuri. Microb. Drug Resist. 2 (1996) 377–391.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hiramatsu, K., Kondo, N., Ito, T.: Genetic basis for epidemiology of MRSA. J. Infect. Chemother. 2 (1996) 117–129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hartman, B. J., Tomasz, A.: Expression of methicillin resistance in beterogeneous strains ofStaphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 26 (1986) 85–92.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ryffel, C., Strassle, A., Kayser, F. H., Berger-Bachi, B.: Mechanism of heteroresistance in methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 38 (1994) 724–728.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hryniewicz, W., Trzciński, K.: The current situation and perspectives of standardization in susceptibility testing in Poland. Antimicrob. Drug Chemother. 13 (1994) 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Olsson-Liljequist, B., Larsson, P., Ringertz, A., Lofdahl, S.: Use of DNA hybridization method to verify results of screening for methicillin resistance in staphylococci. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 12 (1993) 527–533.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Murakami, K., Minamide, W., Wada, K., Nakamura, E., Teraoka, H., Watanabe, S.: Identification of methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci by polymerase chain reaction. J. Clin. Microbiol. 29 (1991) 2240–2244.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jevons, P. M.: Celbenin resistant staphylococci. Brit. Med. J. (1961) 124–125.

  15. Benner, E. J., Kayser, F. H.: Growing clinical significance of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus. Lancet ii (1968) 741–744.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Townsend, D. E., Ashdown, N., Bolton, N., Duckworth, G., Moorhouse, E. C., Grubb, W. B.: The international spread of methicillin resistantStaphylococcus aureus. J. Hosp. Infect. 9 (1987) 60–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Panillo, A. L., Culver, D. H., Gaynes, R. P., Banerjee, S., Henderson, T. S., Tolson, J. S., Martone, W. J.: Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus in U.S. hospitals, 1975–1991. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 13 (1992) 582–586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Struelens, M. J., Mertens, R.: Groupement pour le dépistage, l'étude et la prevention des infections hospitaliers. National survey of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus in Belgian Hospitals: detection methods, prevalence trends and infection control measures. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 13 (1994) 56–63.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Voss, A., Milatovic, D., Walklarauch-Schwarz, C., Rosdhal, V. T., Braveny, I.: Methicillin resistantStaphylococcus aureus in Europe. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 13 (1994) 50–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Piechowicz, L., Namysł, E., Galiński, J.: Wystepowanie metycylinoopornych gronkowców w Polsce i ich charakterystyka. Med. Dosw. Mikrobiol. 45 (1993) 273–276.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mayhall, C. G.: Surgical infections including burns. In:Wenzel, R. P. (ed.): Prevention and control of nosocomial infections. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore 1993, pp. 614–664.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ayliffe, G. A. J., Buckles, A., Caswell, M. W., Cookson, B. D., Cox, R. A., Duckworth, G. J., French, G. L., Griffiths-Jones, A., Heathcock, R., Humphreys, H., Keane, C. T., Marples, R. R., Shanson, D. C., Slack, R., Tebbs, E.: Revised guidelines for the control of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus infection in hospitals (Working Party Report). J. Hosp. Infect. 39 (1998) 253–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Tenover, F. C., Arbeit, R. D., Archer, G., Biddle, J., Byrne, S., Goering, R., Handcock, G., Hebert, G. A., Hill, B., Hollis, R., Jarvis, W. R., Kreiswirth, B., Eisner, W., Maslow, J., McDougal, L. K., Miller, J. M., Mulligan, M., Pfaller, M. A.: Comparison of traditional and molecular methods of typing isolates ofStaphylococcus aureus. J. Clin. Microbiol. 32 (1994) 407–415.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. van Belkum, A., Kluytmans, J., van Leuwen, W., Bax, R., Quint, W., Peters, E., Fluit, A., Vanderbroucke-Grauls, C., van den Brule, A., Koeleman, H., Melchers, W., Meis, J., Elaichouni, A., Vaneechoutte, M., Moonens, F., Maes, N., Struelens, M., Tenover, E., Verbrough, H.: Multicenter evaluation of arbitrarily primed PCR for typing ofStaphylococcus aureus strains. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33 (1995) 1537–1547.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Prevost, G., Jaulhac, B., Piemont, Y.: DNA fingerprinting by pulsedfield gel electrophoresis is more effective than ribotyping in distinguishing among methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 30 (1992) 967–973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. van Belkum, A., van Leeuwen, W., Kaufmann, M. E., Cookson, B., Orey, F., Etienne, J., Goering, R., Tenover, F., Steward, C., O'Brian, F., Grubb, W., Tassios, P., Legakis, N., Morvan, A., El Sohl, N., de Ryck, R., Struelens, M., Salmenlinna, S., Vuopio-Varkila, J., Kooistra, M., Talens, A., Witte, W., Verbrugh, H.: Assessment of resolution and intercenter reproducibility of results of genotypingStaphylococcus aureus by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of SmaI macrorestriction fragments: a multicenter study. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36 (1998) 1653–1659.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Tenover, F. C., Arbeit, R. D., Goering, R. V., Michelson, P. A., Murray, B. E., Persing, D. H., Swaminathan, B.: Interpreting chromosomal DNA restriction patterns produced by pulsed-field gel-electrophoresis: criteria for bacterial strain typing. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33 (1995) 2233–2239.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. de Lencastre, H., Couto, I., Santos Sanches, I., Melo-Cristino, J., Torres-Pereira, A., Tomasz, A.: Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus disease in a Portuguese hospital: characterization of clonal types by a combination of DNA typing methods. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 13 (1994) 64–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Ichiyama, S., Ohta, M., Shimokata, K., Kato, N., Takeuchi, J.: Genomic DNA fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis as an epidemiological marker for study of nosocomial infections caused by methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus. J. Clin. Microbiol. 29 (1991) 2690–2695.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Trzcinski, K., Hryniewicz, W., Claus, H., Witte, W.: Characterization of two different clusters of clonally related methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus strains by conventional and molecular typing. J. Hosp. Infect. 28 (1994) 113–126.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Aires de Sousa, M., Santos Sanches, I., van Belkum, A., van Leeuwen, W., Verbrugh, H., de Lencastre, H.: Characterization of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus isolates from Portuguese hospitals by multiple genotyping methods. Microb. Drug Resist. 2 (1996) 331–341.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Trzcinski, K., van Leeuwen, W., van Belkum, A., Grzesiowski, P., Kluytmans, J., Sijmons, M., Verbrugh, H., Witte, W., Hryniewicz, W.: Two clones of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus in Poland. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 3 (1997) 198–207.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Hoefnagels-Schuermans, A., Borremans, A., Peetermans, W., van Lierde, S., Reybrouck, G., van Eldere, J.: Origin and transmission of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus in an endemic situation: differences between geriatric and intensive-care patients. J. Hosp. Infect. 36 (1997) 209–222.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Trzcinski, K., Hryniewicz, W., Kluytmans, J., van Leeuwen, W., Sijmons, M., Dulny, G., Verbrugh, H., van Belkum, A.: Simultaneous persistence of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible clones ofStaphylococcus aureus in a neonatal ward of a Warsaw hospital. J. Hosp. Infect. 36 (1997) 291–303.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Murchan, S., Trzcinski, K., Skoczynska, A., van Leeuwen, W., van Belkum, A., Pietuszko, S., Gadomski, T., Hryniewicz, W.: Spread of old and new clones of epidemic methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus in Poland. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 4 (1998) 481–490.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Leski, T., Gniadkowski, M., Skoczynska, A., Trzcinski, K., Stefaniuk, E., Hryniewicz, W.: Outbreak of mupirocin-resistant staphylococci in a Warsaw hospital due to both plasmid dissemination and clonal spread of several strains. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 5 (1999) 118.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Teixeira, L. A., Lourenco, M. C. S., Figueiredo, A. M. S.: Emergence of a methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus clone related to the Brazilian epidemic clone III:B:A causing invasive disease among AIDS patients in a Brazilian hospital. Microb. Drug Resist. 2 (1996) 393–399.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Aires de Sousa, M., Santos Sanches, I., Ferro, M. L., Vaz, M. J., Saraiva, Z., Tendeiro, T., Serra, J., de Lencastre, H.: Intercontinental spread of a multidrug-resistant methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus clone. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36 (1998) 2590–2596.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Leski, T., Oliveira, D., Trzcinski, K., Santo Sanches, I., Aires de Sousa, M., Hryniewicz, W., de Lencastre, H.: Clonal distribution of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus in Poland. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36 (1998) 3532–3539.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Frenay, H. M. E., Theelen, J. P. G., Schouls, L. M., Vandenbroucke-Grauls, C. M. J. E., Verhoef, J., van Leeuwen, W. J., Mooi, F. R.: Discrimination of epidemic and nonepidemic methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus strains on the basis of protein A gene polymorphism. J. Clin. Microbiol. 32 (1994) 846–847.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Schwarzkopf, A., Karch, H., Schmidt, H., Lenz, W., Heesemann, J.: Phenotypical and genotypical characterization of epidemic clumping factor-negative, oxacillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus. J. Clin. Microbiol. 31 (1993) 2281–2285.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hryniewicz, W. Epidemiology of MRSA. Infection 27 (Suppl 2), S13–S16 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02561663

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02561663

Keywords

Navigation