title: The emergence of infections with community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: Recently there have been reports indicating an increased incidence of MRSA infections, afflicting individuals with no apparent risk factors for hospital acquisition. Patients with community-associated (CA) MRSA are significantly younger and had different distributions of clinical infections compared with HA-MRSA patients. CA-MRSA infections have mostly been associated with staphylococcal strains bearing the SCCmec type IV element and PVL genes. These strains are more frequently susceptible to a variety of non-beta-lactam antibiotics. Clinicians must be aware of the wide and, in some cases, unique spectrum of disease caused by CA-MRSA. Continued emergence of MRSA in the community is a public-health problem that warrants increased vigilance in the diagnosis and management of suspected and confirmed staphylococcal infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St Elisabeth Hospital, P.O. Box 747, 5000 AS Tilburg, The Netherlands. b.diederen@elisabeth.nl
authors.forename: B M W
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Diederen
authors.forename: J A J W
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kluytmans
mesh_terms: D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*