Top 5 'hot spots' for MRSA outbreaks

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is known to cause skin infections as well as other types of infections within the general community, and could lead to pneumonia, bloodstream or surgical site infections within the health care setting, according to the CDC.

Here’s a rundown of the top 5 “hot spots” that MRSA is likely to be found outside of the health care setting:

1. The nose

According to the CDC, data suggest that on average, one in three people are carriers of S. aureus in their nose and two out of 100 people carry MRSA. In a 2012 study presented at Digestive Disease Week, nasal colonization of MRSA was associated with an increased incidence for surgical site infections among patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. Patients with MRSA had a higher rate for surgical site infections: 13.7% vs. 9.4% for those with negative swabs vs. 4.2% for those with MSSA. Read more

2. Athletic settings

People who partake in certain physical activities, such as athletes, are at increased risk for MRSA infection, according to the CDC. Researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., found that MRSA colonization was a widespread occurrence among collegiate athletes during peaks in their respective athletic seasons. Fifty-four percent of the football players had at least one S. aureus-positive culture during the study period; 37% had at least one MRSA-positive culture. Read more

3. Military barracks

Data from a 2014 study indicated that a combination of personal hygiene and education measures, including weekly chlorhexidine bathing, did not prevent MRSA skin and soft tissue infections among high-risk military trainees, according to researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The overall MRSA skin and soft tissue infection rate was 1.1 cases per 100 person-cycles. Read more

4. Jails and prisons

According to Michael Z. David, MD, PhD, of the department of medicine at the University of Chicago, detainees in US jails are at high risk for skin infections caused by MRSA and MSSA. For this reason, David and colleagues randomly assigned 4,196 detainees to one of three intervention arms. At 6 months, the presence of MRSA was not significantly reduced in either the control or intervention arms, but infection with any type of S. aureus at that time was 51.1% in detainees who received no skin treatment vs. 40.7% of those who used chlorhexidine gluconate-treated cloths. Read more

5. Schools

According to the CDC, it is not necessary to close entire schools for disinfection purposes or keep a student home when they have MRSA, according to the CDC. A speaker at the AAP’s Future of Pediatrics Conference said that cultures need to be taken when there is pus and oozing from a student’s skin condition to confirm MRSA. The aim is to get the child back in school or childcare, but not spread MRSA. The infection requires immediate treatment, which is a commitment of both the parent and the physician. Read more