OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence and epidemiology of non-multiresistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (nmMRSA) infection in south-east Queensland, Australia. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective survey was done of hospital records of all patients who had non-multiresistant MRSA isolated at Ipswich Hospital (a 250-bed general hospital, 40 km south-west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) between March 2000 and June 2001. Laboratory typing of these isolates was done with antibiogram, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, bacteriophage typing and coagulase gene typing. RESULTS: There were 44 infections caused by nmMRSA. Seventeen infections (39%) occurred in patients from the south-west Pacific Islands (predominantly Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand). Laboratory typing showed that the isolates in Pacific Islanders were Pacific Island strains, and 16/17 of these infections were community acquired. Twenty-three infections (52%) occurred in Caucasians. Eleven of the isolates from Caucasians (48%) were a new predominantly community-acquired strain that we have termed the 'R' pulsotype, nine (39%) were Pacific Island strains, and three (13%) were health care institution-associated strains. Four infections occurred in patients who were not Caucasians or Pacific Islanders. Overall, 34 of all 44 infections (77%) were community acquired. CONCLUSIONS: Non-multiresistant MRSA infection, relatively frequently observed in Pacific Islanders in south-east Queensland, is now a risk for Caucasians as well, and is usually community acquired. Clinicians should consider taking microbiological specimens for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing in patients with suspected staphylococcal infections who are not responding to empirical therapy with beta-lactam antibiotics.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence and epidemiology of non-multiresistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (nmMRSA) infection in south-east Queensland, Australia. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective survey was done of hospital records of all patients who had non-multiresistant MRSA isolated at Ipswich Hospital (a 250-bed general hospital, 40 km south-west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) between March 2000 and June 2001. Laboratory typing of these isolates was done with antibiogram, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, bacteriophage typing and coagulase gene typing. RESULTS: There were 44 infections caused by nmMRSA. Seventeen infections (39%) occurred in patients from the south-west Pacific Islands (predominantly Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand). Laboratory typing showed that the isolates in Pacific Islanders were Pacific Island strains, and 16/17 of these infections were community acquired. Twenty-three infections (52%) occurred in Caucasians. Eleven of the isolates from Caucasians (48%) were a new predominantly community-acquired strain that we have termed the 'R' pulsotype, nine (39%) were Pacific Island strains, and three (13%) were health care institution-associated strains. Four infections occurred in patients who were not Caucasians or Pacific Islanders. Overall, 34 of all 44 infections (77%) were community acquired. CONCLUSIONS: Non-multiresistant MRSA infection, relatively frequently observed in Pacific Islanders in south-east Queensland, is now a risk for Caucasians as well, and is usually community acquired. Clinicians should consider taking microbiological specimens for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing in patients with suspected staphylococcal infections who are not responding to empirical therapy with beta-lactam antibiotics.
Authors: Flavia Huygens; John Inman-Bamber; Graeme R Nimmo; Wendy Munckhof; Jacqueline Schooneveldt; Bruce Harrison; Jennifer A McMahon; Philip M Giffard Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2006-10 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: A Y Peleg; W J Munckhof; S L Kleinschmidt; A J Stephens; F Huygens Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2005-06 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Stefan Monecke; Hanna Kanig; Wolfram Rudolph; Elke Müller; Geoffrey Coombs; Helmut Hotzel; Peter Slickers; Ralf Ehricht Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-11-17 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: W J Munckhof; G R Nimmo; J Carney; J M Schooneveldt; F Huygens; J Inman-Bamber; E Tong; A Morton; P Giffard Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2008-02-16 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Geoffrey W Coombs; Graeme R Nimmo; Jan M Bell; Flavia Huygens; Frances G O'Brien; Mary J Malkowski; Julie C Pearson; Alex J Stephens; Philip M Giffard Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2004-10 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: F G O'Brien; G W Coombs; J W Pearman; M Gracey; F Moss; K J Christiansen; W B Grubb Journal: J Antimicrob Chemother Date: 2009-08-27 Impact factor: 5.790