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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Europe, 1999-2002
Edine W Tiemersma1, Stef L A M Bronzwaer, Outi Lyytikäinen
1National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands. edine.tiemersma@rivm.nl
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|October 23, 2004
Summary
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence varied significantly across Europe, with notable increases in several countries. Hospital-level differences highlight the need for targeted MRSA control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Antimicrobial resistance, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), poses a significant global health threat.
- Surveillance systems are crucial for monitoring resistance patterns and informing control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the geographical and temporal variations in MRSA proportions across European countries.
- To identify trends in MRSA occurrence within and between participating hospitals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EUR-ASS) spanning January 1999 to December 2002.
- Analyzed antimicrobial susceptibility test results for 50,759 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from 495 hospitals in 26 countries.
Main Results:
- MRSA prevalence showed a nearly 100-fold variation, ranging from less than 1% in Northern Europe to over 40% in Southern and Western Europe.
- Significant increases in MRSA proportions were observed in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, while Slovenia showed a decrease.
- Substantial inter-hospital variation in MRSA proportions was noted, particularly in countries with 5% to 20% prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Observed MRSA trends necessitate the implementation of control initiatives at national, regional, and hospital levels.
- Significant inter-hospital disparities suggest that regional and local-level interventions may be most effective for MRSA containment.