title: Demographic variation in community-based MRSA skin and soft tissue infection in Auckland, New Zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the burden of skin and soft tissue infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and to determine the effects of ethnicity and age on the rate of skin and soft tissue due to MRSA in the Auckland community.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the culture and susceptibility results of all wound swabs processed by Auckland's only community microbiology laboratory in 2007. Demographic data for a random sample of 1000 people who had a wound swab collected and for all people from whom a methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain was isolated were obtained and compared to demographic data for the total population of Auckland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  S. aureus was isolated from 23853/47047 (51%) wound swab cultures performed in 2007; the estimated annual incidence of S. aureus isolation from a wound swab was 1847/100,000 people; and the estimated annual incidence of MRSA isolation from a wound swab was 145/100,000 people. Maori and Pacific people had higher rates of non-multiresistant MRSA infection compared with New Zealand European and Asian people; elderly New Zealand European people had much higher rates of multiresistant MRSA infections compared with people from other ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S. aureus is a very common cause of disease in the community and the incidence of infection with MRSA subtypes varies with ethnicity.
authors: Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. s.ritchie@auckland.ac.nz
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Ritchie
authors: John D
authors: JD
authors: Fraser
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Libby
authors: Arthur J
authors: AJ
authors: Morris
authors: Paul B
authors: PB
authors: Rainey
authors: Mark G
authors: MG
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult