title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in U.S. service members deployed to Iraq.
abstract: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become the most common cause of skin and soft-tissue infections in the United States. However, no studies have yet examined its importance in the deployed environment. We retrospectively reviewed culture results obtained at a level II military treatment facility in Iraq over a 5-month period to determine the incidence of CA-MRSA in this population. Eighty-five percent of the cultures obtained from skin abscesses were positive for S. aureus, and 70% were methicillin-resistant S. aureus. All of the isolates recovered were sensitive to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. CA-MRSA is a significant problem in deployed service members and civilians and empiric antibiotics for skin and soft-tissue infections need to provide coverage for this important pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kazragis
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008889:Military Personnel; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology