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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus typing methods: which should be the international standard?
1Department of Medical Microbiology, City Hospital NHS Trust, Dudley Road, Birmingham, B18 7QH. Weller@bham.ac.uk
The Journal of Hospital Infection
|March 9, 2000
Summary
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) epidemiology requires universal typing. Current methods lack discrimination, reproducibility, or stability for global standardization, necessitating further evaluation of promising techniques.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a global health concern.
- Effective MRSA control hinges on understanding its epidemiology.
- A universally applicable typing technique is crucial for global MRSA surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and assess available MRSA typing methods for suitability as a reference procedure.
- To identify typing techniques with potential for international standardization.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing phenotypic and genotypic MRSA typing techniques.
- Assessment of methods based on discriminatory power, reproducibility, stability, and outbreak utility.
Main Results:
- Most current phenotypic and genotypic methods are insufficient for standardization.
- Techniques like pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and binary typing show promise but require more evaluation.
- No single MRSA typing method has achieved international standard recognition.
Conclusions:
- Further systematic evaluation is needed for promising MRSA typing methods.
- Standardization of MRSA typing is essential for effective global control strategies.
- Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and binary typing warrant further investigation for standardization.