title: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in healthy children attending an outpatient pediatric clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We previously showed that children attending an inner city pediatric emergency department were sometimes asymptomatically colonized with clindamycin-susceptible community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and borderline methicillin-resistant S. aureus (BRSA) as well. We wished to ascertain whether healthy children attending an outpatient clinic were colonized with these organisms. Therefore to estimate the prevalence of community-acquired MRSA and BRSA nasal colonization in a well child population, we cultured children attending an inner city pediatric outpatient clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted from January to August, 1999, at a primary care outpatient facility at the University of Chicago. The target population was 500 healthy children < or = 16 years of age who attended this facility to receive well child care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-two (24.4%) children were colonized with S. aureus. Three of the 122 (2.5%) S. aureus isolates were MRSA; they came from children who lacked predisposing risk factors and were susceptible to clindamycin, gentamicin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, rifampin and ciprofloxacin. Two (1.6%) additional S. aureus isolates were BRSA; both children had predisposing risk factors for MRSA colonization. The mecA gene was present in the 3 MRSA isolates and absent in both BRSA isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data document that a reservoir of asymptomatic MRSA colonization exists among healthy children who lack traditional risk factors for MRSA infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics University of Chicago Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boyle-Vavra
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Daum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D008712:Methicillin