[Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Bogotá, Colombia: Public Health implications].
OBJECTIVE
Determining the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) and susceptibility to erythromycin and clindamycin (resistance profile suggestive of being CA-MRSA) in community isolates from de GREBO's database from 2001-2005.


METHODS
GREBO's database has been complied since 2001, using more than 22 hospitals in Bogota. S. aureus resistance profiles were determined from community isolates. Whonet 5.3 software and CLSI breakpoints (2003) were used.


RESULTS
2,308 S. aureus community isolates were identified. 618 (26,8 %) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). 74 (3,2 %) MRSA exhibited susceptibility to all other antibiotics (erythromycin, clindamycin), suggesting that S. aureus belonged to CA-MRSA.


CONCLUSIONS
CA-MRSA might have emerged in Bogotá thereby having a profound implication for public health due to possible dissemination in the community and because antibiotic protocols for emergency settings should be changed. The results of our study suggested that CA-MRSA could be more common in Bogotá than currently expected.
Cortes
Jorge Alberto
JA
Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. jorgecortes@yahoo.com
Gómez
Carlos Andrés
CA
Cuervo
Sonia Isabel
SI
Leal
Aura Lucía
AL
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*