Incidence of invasive community-onset Staphylococcus aureus infections in children in Central New York

Manika Suryadevara1, Maria R Moro, Paula F Rosenbaum

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|December 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

The incidence of invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections in children remained low, but methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections significantly increased between 1996 and 2006 in central New York.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Bacteriology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is a significant cause of invasive infections in children.
  • Community-onset infections present a challenge for healthcare settings.
  • Understanding trends in antibiotic resistance is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of invasive community-onset Staphylococcus aureus infections in hospitalized children.
  • To analyze antibiotic susceptibilities of Staphylococcus aureus isolates.
  • To assess trends in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence over a decade.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for 128 hospitalized children with invasive S. aureus infections.
  • Analysis of infection incidence, clinical data, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.
  • Comparison of data from 1996-2006 to identify trends.

Main Results:

  • The overall prevalence of invasive S. aureus infections remained consistently below 1% during the study period.
  • A significant increase in the proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections was observed.
  • Clinical characteristics and antibiotic susceptibilities were documented for the cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Invasive S. aureus infections in children in central New York remained uncommon.
  • The rising proportion of MRSA infections highlights a critical shift in pathogen resistance patterns.
  • Continued surveillance of S. aureus epidemiology and resistance is essential for public health.

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