title: Waves of resistance: Staphylococcus aureus in the antibiotic era.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is notorious for its ability to become resistant to antibiotics. Infections that are caused by antibiotic-resistant strains often occur in epidemic waves that are initiated by one or a few successful clones. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) features prominently in these epidemics. Historically associated with hospitals and other health care settings, MRSA has now emerged as a widespread cause of community infections. Community or community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) can spread rapidly among healthy individuals. Outbreaks of CA-MRSA infections have been reported worldwide, and CA-MRSA strains are now epidemic in the United States. Here, we review the molecular epidemiology of the epidemic waves of penicillin- and methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus that have occurred since 1940, with a focus on the clinical and molecular epidemiology of CA-MRSA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California 94110, USA. hchambers@medsfgh.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Henry F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Deleo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
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