Current diagnostic tools for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common pathogen responsible for a wide spectrum of healthcare-associated and community-acquired infections. Infections with MRSA strains that are resistant to beta-lactams and other types of antibiotics are a serious therapeutic problem - first, because in such cases only a limited spectrum of antibiotics can be used; and second, because such infections require prolonged hospitalization and result in economic losses. Therefore, in order to limit the overspread of pathogens, the development of diagnostic tools enabling rapid identification of carriers and infected patients, as well as proper identification of drug-resistance mechanisms to enable development of more targeted clinical treatment, are vital. This article reviews the current knowledge concerning prospective diagnostics of MRSA infections.