MRSA Cases on the Rise; Two New Strains Detected, Study Finds
The number of cases of the drug-resistant bacterial infection MRSA has nearly doubled in the last 10 years as the potentially fatal infections spread out of hospitals and other healthcare settings into schools, fitness centers, and other community settings, U.S. researchers say.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – or MRSA for short – is often spread by negligent and improper cleaning of medical equipment, gymnasium equipment, and other surfaces in areas where many people gather together. Children, who are more likely not to observe proper hygiene and hand washing, are more likely to spread MRSA.
Princeton University researchers who studied data collected from about 300 laboratories said the rate of MRSA infections has increased more than 90 percent since 1999 among patients who were admitted to U.S. hospitals, according to a Reuters news report.
The study team also found two new strains of MRSA in the general public that are different than the strains normally seen in hospitals, adding to concerns about the infection changing and further avoiding treatment with traditional antibiotics.
The spike in MRSA cases can be almost entirely attributed to community infections, meaning those acquired outside hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings, the researchers said. Community-acquired MRSA infections increased by more than 33 percent every year from 1999 through 2006, the researchers said.
According to the latest estimates, about 20,000 people in the United States die each year as a result of a MRSA infection. In the worst cases, MRSA can reach a person’s bloodstream and spread infections that can kill quickly.
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