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Updated: Jul 8, 2026
Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Published on: February 9, 2011
Outbreaks of infection caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Canadian
Cheryl L Main1, Padman Jayaratne, Allan Haley
1Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University.
Background:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been identified in prison settings in the United States. The present study investigated two clusters of skin and soft tissue infection caused by community-acquired (CA) MRSA in a correctional facility in southern Ontario.
Methods:
Outbreak investigations were conducted by the responsible public health authority. Strain relatedness was assessed through comparison of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and antibiograms.
Results:
Two distinct outbreaks of CAMRSA-associated disease occurred in 2002 and 2004. Most patients presented with abscesses in the lower extremities. All isolates had identical DNA banding patterns on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. One-half of the affected inmates resided in a cellblock with one other affected inmate. No other risk factors were identified.
Conclusions:
One of the first outbreaks of CAMRSA infections in a correctional facility in Canada is documented. Taken in conjunction with outbreaks elsewhere, this suggests that residence in correctional facilities may be a risk factor for CAMRSA infection.
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