title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission in a low-prevalence healthcare setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the nosocomial transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the predictive role of colonization pressure (CP) in a low-prevalence healthcare setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of MRSA infection rates from 2004 to 2009 at the Saudi Aramco Dhahran Health Center, Saudi Arabia, was performed. MRSA patient-days, susceptible patient-days, nosocomial incidence and CP were calculated for each month from January 2008 to December 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 878 cases of MRSA colonization/infection were identified. Of these cases, 777 (88.4%) and 101 (11.5%) were community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) cases, respectively. A decrease in the number of HA-MRSA cases and an increase in the number of CA-MRSA cases were observed during the study period. The incidence of nosocomial infection per 1000 susceptible patient-days was 1.17 in 2008 and 0.7 in 2009. The monthly colonization pressure ranged from 0.1 to 1.62 throughout the 2-year period. Nosocomial transmission was observed in 13 months of the 24-month study period. No association between the CP of the preceding month and the incidence of nosocomial transmission in the subsequent month was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a setting of low MRSA prevalence, CP does not appear to be a useful predictor of nosocomial transmission or incidence.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory Unit, Dhahran Health Center, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Husam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khanfar
authors.forename: Abiola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senok
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anani
authors.forename: Vitaly
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zinkevich
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*