title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a new pandemic?
abstract: The death rate in the United States is higher for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) than the death rate for AIDS. It has also been present for much longer than people realize. It is affecting all groups of individuals, children, and adults alike. Moreover, like AIDS, education is the key in preventing the spread of this disease. Because skin-to-skin contact is the main cause of MRSA transmission, simple good hand washing techniques remain crucial. New classes of antibiotics have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for MRSA, as the challenge becomes continued antibiotic resistance.
authors.affiliation: Allergan Medical, Goleta, California, USA. cuddy_suzanne@allergan.com
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cuddy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017277:Drug Approval; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000451:nursing; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents