Cases of MRSA, a drug-resistant bacterial infection, were once thought to exist primarily in hospitals settings, but such is not the case. MRSA has been found to originate outside hospitals, and are different strains of the infection than those originating inside hospitals. Since 1999, the number of cases of the bacterial infection have grown by 90 percent.
A newly released study conducted by Ramanan Laxminarayan, of Princeton University, and colleagues analyzed data from outpatient hospital units from across the United States starting in 1999 and continuing through 2006. They discovered a huge increase in the ratios of “community associated” strains of MRSA, short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aure. Community-associated strains of MRSA grew from 3.6 percent in all MRSA infected cases to 28.2 percent over the course of the seven-year study. Evidence shows the community-associated strains are also quickly working their way into hospitals.
Approximately 20,000 people in the United States die annually from MRSA. Some symptoms such as abscesses may be easily detectable, but there are difficult to detect symptoms, such as blood infections, that can kill very rapidly. MRSA is one of the easiest infections acquired from a hospital, but based on new evidence it seems the potentially deadly infection can also be easily acquired from schools, gyms, and other public places. Treatment for MRSA can be very costly, ranging from $3,000 to $35,000 per individual case.
The new report published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, found more and more people are being diagnosed with the strain of MRSA borne in the community, in addition to the cases of MRSA originating in hospitals. The team of researchers said in their report, "Our findings have implications for local and national policies aimed at containing and preventing MRSA.”
The team of researchers recommends quicker testing in patients who have symptoms of MRSA, in an effort to diagnose and treat patients more rapidly, to potentially cut down on the rapidly growing number of cases. The team also recommends infection control policies consider the role of outpatients in the spreading of MRSA and encourage or implement better practices to help and prevent the spread of the infection from outpatient areas to inpatient areas. Research from this study and other studies have demonstrated the importance of employing surveillance and infection control on a regional basis, to help prevent MRSA and other super bugs from spreading rapidly and potentially killing thousands of people.
