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Published on: May 8, 2013

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Dutch soccer team

Xander W Huijsdens1, Ans M C van Lier, Eric van Kregten

  • 1National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands. Xander.Huijsdens@rivm.nl

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|December 21, 2006
PubMed

Insights

A soccer team experienced an outbreak of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The outbreak was linked to the ST80-IV strain, marking the first reported instance in a sports team setting.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a significant public health concern.
  • The ST80-IV strain of MRSA is a known European variant.
  • Outbreaks of CA-MRSA have been documented in various community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first outbreak of CA-MRSA among members of a sports team.
  • To identify the specific strain of MRSA responsible for the outbreak.
  • To characterize the transmission dynamics within a sports team environment.

Main Methods:

  • Case identification of infected individuals within the soccer team and their close contacts.
  • Microbiological analysis of isolates to determine the strain of Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Molecular typing (e.g., spa typing, SCCmec typing) to identify the specific MRSA strain (ST80-IV).

Main Results:

  • An outbreak of CA-MRSA was confirmed among soccer team members and their close contacts.
  • The causative agent was identified as the European ST80-IV strain.
  • This represents the first documented outbreak of this specific MRSA strain within a sports team.

Conclusions:

  • Sports teams can be a venue for CA-MRSA transmission.
  • The ST80-IV strain has the potential to spread within close-contact populations like sports teams.
  • Enhanced surveillance and infection control measures may be necessary in athletic settings.

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