title: Spread of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft-tissue infection within a family: implications for antibiotic therapy and prevention.
abstract: Outbreaks or clusters of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) within families have been reported. We describe a family cluster of CA-MRSA skin and soft-tissue infection where CA-MRSA was suspected because of recurrent infections which failed to respond to flucloxacillin. While the prevalence of CA-MRSA is low worldwide, CA-MRSA should be considered in certain circumstances depending on clinical presentation and risk assessment. Surveillance cultures of family contacts of patients with MRSA should be considered to help establish the prevalence of CA-MRSA and to inform the optimal choice of empiric antibiotic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Beaumont Hospital,PO Box 1297, Beaumont Road, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Amir
authors.affiliation: National MRSA Reference Laboratory, St James'sHospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rossney
authors.affiliation: Temenos Medical Centre, Malahide, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Veale
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Beaumont Hospital,PO Box 1297, Beaumont Road, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 25-27Middle Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.|Department of Clinical Microbiology, Beaumont Hospital,PO Box 1297, Beaumont Road, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, RCSI Educationand Research Centre, Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital, PO Box 9063, Dublin9, Ireland.|Department of Clinical Microbiology, Beaumont Hospital,PO Box 1297, Beaumont Road, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Humphreys
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission