Diseases A-Z

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

• More info
• Guidelines
• Articles and News
• Reporting
• Surveillance
• Data 

Staphylococcus aureus, or more simply "staph," are bacteria that often live in the nose or on the skin of healthy people. When these bacteria penetrate the skin or invade other parts of the body, a staph infection may result. Staph bacteria that are resistant to the action of methicillin and related antibiotics are referred to as "methicillin-resistant staph aureus" or MRSA.

MRSA bacteria are not only resistant to all penicillin-like antibiotics, but they are often resistant to many other types of antibiotics as well. Infections with MRSA can be costly and difficult to treat because of limited antibiotic options. In the past, MRSA has been a problem mainly in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes (healthcare-associated MRSA). Recently however, there have been many reports of MRSA infections—particularly skin and soft tissue infections such as boils, abscesses, and cellulitis—occurring among persons in the general community without any healthcare contact. These types of infections are labeled community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA).

More info

• Frequently asked questions about MRSA in schools
• Frequently asked questions about MRSA in the workplace
• CD Summary on MRSA
  • November 13, 2007 2 Part 2: Invasive MRSA Infection in Oregon
  • October 30, 2007 MRSA Superbug? - Part I
  • March 8, 2005; Vol. 54, No. 5 11 x 17 (regular size) (.pdf)
  • 8.5 x 11 (large print) (.pdf)
• CDC's MRSA home page

Guidelines

• Outpatient Mangement of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in the Era of CA-MRSA (AMA, CDC, IDSA 2007)
• Strategies for Clinical Management of MRSA in the Community (Summary of an Experts' Meeting convened by CDC, March 2006, pdf)
• Management of Multidrug-resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings, 2006 (CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, pdf)
• CDC guidelines on hand hygiene in healthcare settings (MMWR article)
• Reducing the spread of CA-MRSA in non-healthcare settings (.pdf developed by Los Angeles County, CA; December 2004)
• Recommendations on the prevention, treatment, and containment of MRSA outbreaks from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (scroll down page to download current .pdf)

Articles and News on MRSA

• Hospitalizations and Deaths Caused by Methicilllin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, United States, 1999-2005 (EID, CDC, 2007)
• Invasive MRSA infections in the U.S. (JAMA 2007)
• Prevalance of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in the U.S.,2001-2002 (JID 2006)
• MRSA disease in three communities (NEJM article 2005)
• infections among competitive sports participants, 2000—2003 (MMWR article)
• MRSA infections in correctional facilities, Georgia, California, and Texas, 2001–2003 (MMWR article)
• Outbreaks of CA-MRSA skin infections, Los Angeles County, 2002–2003 (MMWR article)
• Four pediatric deaths from community-acquired MRSA, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1997–1999 (MMWR article)

Disease Reporting

MRSA cases are not reportable in Oregon.

MRSA Surveillance in Oregon

In January 2004, the Oregon Department of Human Services, Health Services, added invasive MRSA to the list of bacterial infections under surveillance in the ABCs (Active Bacterial Core Surveillance) program. The surveillance project will determine the baseline incidence of invasive MRSA infections (infection of a normally sterile site such as blood, CSF, joint fluid) in the Portland, Oregon tri-county area (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties) and tracks changes in occurrence of these infections over time. This surveillance program also determines what proportion of cases are healthcare-associated versus community-associated, as well as whether these two types of MRSA differ in underlying conditions, antibiotic suscepibilities, and other factors.  See reports from this surveillance program in the MRSA Data section below.

Data

• Invasive MRSA
  • MRSA Surveillance Report 2006 2005 (.pdf)
• Antibiogram data
  • 1996 and 2003 comparison report  (.pdf)

 

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This page last updated on March 14, 2008.