Outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a teaching hospital--epidemiological and microbiological surveillance.
An outbreak of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in a large university teaching hospital occurred between December 1991 and May 1992, involving 7 different wards and more than 30 patients. Epidemiological typing was performed to control the epidemic and to identify the MRSA carriers. By a combination of various classical methods (antimicrobial susceptibility, phage typing) and molecular typing procedures (SDS-PAGE of extracellular proteins, plasmid DNA profile, restriction enzyme fragment pattern of chromosomal DNA), three different clones of MRSA could be discriminated. The epidemic clone A was recovered from 30 patients and from 3 staff members. By strict microbiological monitoring together with hygienic measures, the epidemic could be successfully controlled. It is concluded that a combination of phenotypic markers and DNA-based epidemiological markers is extremely useful in the microbiological surveillance of MRSA outbreaks.
Schumacher-Perdreau
F
F
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Cologne, Germany.
Jansen
B
B
Seifert
H
H
Peters
G
G
Pulverer
G
G
D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*