title: Successful control of nosocomial transmission of the USA300 clone of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a UK paediatric burns centre.
abstract: An outbreak of the PVL-positive USA300 clone of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) occurred in a UK paediatric burns centre from January to February 2010. Four patients, two staff members and one family member of a patient were affected. The outbreak strain had similar antibiotic susceptibilities to other MRSA seen in the hospital, and was only identified when a patient and a staff member presented simultaneously with skin infections. Infection control measures included screening and decolonization of staff and patients, environmental sampling and enhanced cleaning. Isolation of the outbreak strain from an asymptomatic staff member and the environment demonstrates the potential for CA-MRSA to survive and become endemic in UK hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK. mitul.patel@bch.nhs.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Room
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kearns
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002053:Burn Units; D002648:Child; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Community-acquired MRSA; PVL; Paediatric burns; USA300