MRSA surveillance programmes worldwide: moving towards a harmonised international approach

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Multinational methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) surveillance relies on diverse national data collection systems.
• Existing surveillance programs exhibit significant heterogeneity in methodology and reporting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diversity of national MRSA surveillance programs globally.
• To propose a framework for harmonizing MRSA surveillance efforts.

Main Methods:

• A structured survey was distributed to national MRSA surveillance programs.
• A webinar was conducted with program representatives to discuss strengths, challenges, and harmonization guidelines.
• Data from 24 programs across 16 countries were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Surveillance purposes primarily included informing clinicians and policymakers.
• Bloodstream infections (BSIs) were universally monitored; other invasive infections were frequently included.
• Significant variations were observed in antimicrobial susceptibility testing, virulence factor analysis, genotyping, and metadata collection.

Conclusions:

• Heterogeneous data collection systems impede international MRSA epidemiological monitoring and research.
• Harmonization requires integrating microbiological and epidemiological data.
• Establishing central biobanks and including diverse infection types (e.g., skin/soft-tissue alongside BSIs) are recommended.