Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, Western Australia

Lynne Dailey,John W Pearman,Warren B Grubb,Keryn Christiansen,Thomas V Riley,Geoffrey W Coombs,Frances G O'Brien

doi:10.3201/eid1110.050125

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to be a notable cause of hospital-acquired infections. A statewide screening and control policy was implemented in Western Australia (WA) after an outbreak of epidemic MRSA in a Perth hospital in 1982. We report on statutory notifications from 1998 to 2002 and review the 20-year period from 1983 to 2002. The rate of reporting of community-associated Western Australia MRSA (WAMRSA) escalated from 1998 to 2002 but may have peaked in 2001. Several outbreaks were halted, but they resulted in an increase in reports as a result of screening. A notable increase in ciprofloxacin resistance during the study period was observed as a result of more United Kingdom epidemic MRSA (EMRSA) -15 and -16. WA has seen a persistently low incidence of multidrug-resistant MRSA because of the screening and decolonization program. Non-multidrug-resistant, community-associated WAMRSA strains have not established in WA hospitals.

Highlights

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to be a notable cause of hospital-acquired infections
During the 1990s, Western Australia MRSA (WAMRSA) spread to most regions of Western Australia (WA) [14,18], and a substantial number of cases of infection and colonization occurred in metropolitan Perth by 1997 [20]
The proportion of S. aureus that was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) varied from 10% to 30% in states other than WA, while WA remained at 0.4% [17]

Summary

Introduction

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to be a notable cause of hospital-acquired infections. The rate of reporting of community-associated Western Australia MRSA (WAMRSA) escalated from 1998 to 2002 but may have peaked in 2001. A notable increase in ciprofloxacin resistance during the study period was observed as a result of more United Kingdom epidemic MRSA (EMRSA) -15 and -16. During the 1990s, WAMRSA spread to most regions of WA [14,18], and a substantial number of cases of infection and colonization occurred in metropolitan Perth by 1997 [20]. This retrospective review of statutory MRSA notification data was conducted for the period 1998 to 2002. 1997, the reference laboratory was in the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the WA Centre for Pathology and Medical Research; thereafter it was in the Royal Perth Hospital/Curtin University Gram Positive Bacteria Typing and Research Unit

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Results

Conclusion