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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

Seasonality of MRSA infections

Leonard A Mermel1, Jason T Machan, Stephen Parenteau

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Infection Control, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America. lmermel@lifespan.org

Plos One
|April 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Seasonal patterns influence Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Both community-associated (CA) and hospital-associated (HA) MRSA showed increased incidence in later quarters, particularly in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases Epidemiology
  • Microbiology
  • Public Health Surveillance

Background:

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant public health challenge.
  • Understanding temporal trends in MRSA infections is crucial for effective control strategies.
  • Previous studies have suggested potential seasonality in MRSA infections, but further investigation is warranted.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the seasonal variation in community-associated (CA) and hospital-associated (HA) MRSA infections.
  • To analyze MRSA infection rates in relation to emergency department visits and hospital admissions.
  • To compare seasonal trends between pediatric and adult patient populations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized MRSA isolates from a hospital microbiology laboratory (January 2001-March 2010).
  • Employed Poisson regression models to analyze quarterly CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA infections.
  • Correlated infection data with emergency department visits and hospital admission numbers.

Main Results:

  • Pediatric CA-MRSA infections per ED visit were significantly higher in the latter half of the year (1.85x increase).
  • Adult CA-MRSA infections per ED visit showed a smaller but significant seasonal increase (1.14x).
  • Pediatric HA-MRSA infections per hospital admission demonstrated a substantial seasonal rise (2.94x), while adult HA-MRSA showed no significant seasonal variation.

Conclusions:

  • MRSA infections exhibit distinct seasonal patterns, with higher incidence observed in the second half of the year.
  • Pediatric populations appear more susceptible to seasonal variations in both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA.
  • Findings highlight the importance of considering seasonality in MRSA surveillance and intervention planning.

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