Therapies and vaccines for emerging bacterial infections: learning from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging bacterial infection worldwide, and community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infection, which has increased dramatically in frequency in many areas, is of particular clinical and public health concern. CA-MRSA outbreaks and severe infections have been reported more frequently in children, often manifesting in one of two distinct clinical syndromes, furunculosis or necrotizing pneumonia. This article outlines the molecular biology of MRSA, how molecular biology has contributed to the understanding of MRSA infections, current therapy and prevention of MRSA, and the prospects for a vaccine against S aureus.
John
Chandy C
CC
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. ccj@umn.edu
Schreiber
John R
JR
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013209:Staphylococcal Vaccines; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013209:Staphylococcal Vaccines