S. aureus and MRSA Survellance Summary 2007l | CDC Infection Control in Healthcare

S. aureus and MRSA Surveillance Summary 2007

Prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA colonization

Approximately 32% (89.4 million persons) and 0.8% (2.3 millions persons) of the U.S. population is colonized with S. aureus and MRSA respectively. (Kuehnert MJ et al. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2006;193:172-9.) Staphylococcal Disease Burden

In Hospitals

The proportion of healthcare-associated staphylococcal infections that are due to MRSA has been increasing: 2% of S. aureus infections in U.S. intensive-care units were MRSA in 1974, 22% in 1995, and 64% in 2004. (Klevens RM et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2006;42:389-91)
There are an estimated 292,000 hospitalizations with a diagnosis of S. aureus infection annually in U.S. hospitals. Of these approximately 126,000 hospitalizations are related to MRSA. (Kuehnert MJ et al. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2005;11:868-72.)

Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Each year from 2001 through 2003 there were an estimated 12 million outpatient (i.e., physician offices, emergency and outpatient departments) healthcare visits for suspected S. aureus skin and soft tissue infections in the United States. (McCaig LF et al. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2006;12:1715-23.)
In 2004, approximately 76% of purulent (i.e., containing pus) skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in adults seen in 11 emergency departments were caused by S. aureus. Of these infections 78% were caused by MRSA and overall MRSA caused 59% of all SSTIs. (Moran GJ et al. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006; 355:666-74.)

Invasive Infections

Invasive (i.e., serious) MRSA infections occur in approximately 94,000 persons each year and are associated with approximately 19,000 deaths. Of these infections, about 86% are healthcare-associated and 14% are community-associated. (Klevens et al. Journal of the American Medical Association 2007;298(15):1763-1771

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Date last modified: October 17, 2007
Content source:
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)
National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases