Superficial community-acquired skin infections: prevalence of bacteria and antibiotic susceptibility in France.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of the susceptibility to currently used antibiotics of bacteria, particularly S. aureus isolated from superficial community- acquired skin infection and to compare results with those from an earlier study.


METHODS
Every dermatologist in community practice participating in the study was asked to include the first two patients consulting them for superficial cutaneous bacterial infection. Swab specimens collected from the skin infection were sent to a central laboratory.


RESULTS
The dermatologist enrolled 390 patients in the study. The rate of positive culture was 49%, 259 bacterial strains were isolated. S. aureus was the major species (56.8% of all isolated strains). S. aureus was resistant to methicillin in 4%. All strains of S. aureus were susceptible to pristinamycin and mupirocin.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the two epidemiological studies of superficial community acquired skin infections with a comparable methodology at a 6-year interval demonstrated that the prevalence of CA-MRSA skin infection remained low in this setting.
Lorette
G
G
Department of Dermatology, François Rabelais University of Tours, Trousseau University Hospital, BP 37044 Tours cedex, France. lorette@med.univ-tours.fr
Beaulieu
Ph
P
Allaert
F A
FA
Mahmoudi
A
A
Jarlier
V
V
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016712:Mupirocin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D025762:Pristinamycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D025762:Pristinamycin; D016712:Mupirocin