The emergence of infections with community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Recently there have been reports indicating an increased incidence of MRSA infections, afflicting individuals with no apparent risk factors for hospital acquisition. Patients with community-associated (CA) MRSA are significantly younger and had different distributions of clinical infections compared with HA-MRSA patients. CA-MRSA infections have mostly been associated with staphylococcal strains bearing the SCCmec type IV element and PVL genes. These strains are more frequently susceptible to a variety of non-beta-lactam antibiotics. Clinicians must be aware of the wide and, in some cases, unique spectrum of disease caused by CA-MRSA. Continued emergence of MRSA in the community is a public-health problem that warrants increased vigilance in the diagnosis and management of suspected and confirmed staphylococcal infections.