title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Western Australia.
abstract: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to be a notable cause of hospital-acquired infections. A statewide screening and control policy was implemented in Western Australia (WA) after an outbreak of epidemic MRSA in a Perth hospital in 1982. We report on statutory notifications from 1998 to 2002 and review the 20-year period from 1983 to 2002. The rate of reporting of community-associated Western Australia MRSA (WAMRSA) escalated from 1998 to 2002 but may have peaked in 2001. Several outbreaks were halted, but they resulted in an increase in reports as a result of screening. A notable increase in ciprofloxacin resistance during the study period was observed as a result of more United Kingdom epidemic MRSA (EMRSA) -15 and -16. WA has seen a persistently low incidence of multidrug-resistant MRSA because of the screening and decolonization program. Non-multidrug-resistant, community-associated WAMRSA strains have not established in WA hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dailey
authors.forename: Geoffrey W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Coombs
authors.forename: Frances G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pearman
authors.forename: Keryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: Warren B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Grubb
authors.forename: Thomas V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology