Survival and transmission of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from fomites

Abstract

Transmission of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) from fomites appears to play an important role in CA-MRSA outbreaks. However, the amount and duration of transmissibility of MRSA have not been quantified. We assessed the survival and transmission of the CA-MRSA strain USA300-0114 from 9 fomites (razors, plastic toys, ceramic, soap, wood, vinyl, towels, bed sheets, and shoulder pads). Fomites were inoculated then briefly pressed onto sterile pigskin at 5 minutes; days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 10; and then weekly for 10 weeks. The experiment was repeated using 2 methicillin-susceptible S aureus (MSSA) and 3 health care-associated (HA) MRSA strains on select fomites. Bacteria could be transmitted to skin from all fomites except soap. Transmissibility decreased over time but more rapidly from porous (eg, towels) than nonporous (eg, vinyl) fomites (P = .0002), with some fomites showing transmissibility for more than 8 weeks after contamination. The CA-MRSA strain was transmissible longer than the HA-MRSA strains (P < .0001) and 1 MSSA strain. CA-MRSA strains are transmissible from many fomites to skin with contaminated nonporous fomites exhibiting transmissibility many weeks after contamination. Transmissibility of HA-MRSA strains demonstrated attenuated transmissibility compared with CA-MRSA strains. Findings may have implications for CA-MRSA infection prevention.