MRSA in children from foreign countries adopted to Swedish families

To determine if children adopted to Swedish families from countries with a high carrier rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are infected or colonized with MRSA.

From January 2000 to May 2005, 23 adopted children from 6 countries were examined for MRSA at the University hospital in Lund after their arrival in Sweden.

Thirteen of the 23 children (57%) were MRSA positive with a median age of the children at the time MRSA was detected of 6 (range 3-16) months. All MRSA positive children had a history of hospitalization in their native country before arriving in Sweden. The throat was the most frequent and persistent site where MRSA was seen while in sites such as the anterior nares and perineum, MRSA was found more intermittently. The MRSA-positive children were adopted into 13 Swedish families and in 3 families, 6 of 10 family members became MRSA positive.

Children adopted from foreign countries to Swedish families and with a history of hospitalization in their native country were commonly colonized with MRSA. The throat was the most frequent site colonized and transmission of MRSA from adopted children to other family members occurred.