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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal aureus evolution in Australia over 35 years.
1Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. turnidgej@wch.sa.gov.au
Microbial Drug Resistance (Larchmont, N.Y.)
|January 6, 2001
Summary
Australia has seen three distinct methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains emerge over 35 years. These hospital-acquired and community-acquired MRSA strains show evolving resistance patterns and unique epidemiological features.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Australia has a long history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.
- Unique geographic and demographic factors have influenced MRSA evolution in Australia.
- Over 35 years, three distinct MRSA types have emerged and spread.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the emergence and characteristics of MRSA strains in Australia.
- To analyze the epidemiological and genetic diversification of MRSA.
- To highlight the distinct features of hospital-acquired and community-acquired MRSA.
Main Methods:
- Historical review of MRSA emergence and spread in Australia.
- Analysis of antimicrobial resistance patterns.
- Epidemiological investigation of MRSA strains in different regions and patient groups.
Main Results:
- Classical multiresistant hospital-acquired MRSA, resistant to multiple antibiotics, emerged in the 1960s and persists in tertiary hospitals.
- Community-acquired MRSA strains appeared in Western Australia in the mid-1980s, predominantly affecting Aboriginal patients.
- A distinct community-acquired MRSA strain with similar resistance but different epidemiology has emerged in eastern Australia, associated with South Pacific islander origin.
Conclusions:
- Australia harbors diverse MRSA strains with evolving resistance and distinct epidemiological profiles.
- Hospital-acquired MRSA remains a significant cause of infection in Australian healthcare settings.
- Community-acquired MRSA strains present unique challenges, particularly in specific demographic groups and regions.