Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Western Australia

摘要

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)continues to be a notable cause of hospital-acquired infec-tions. A statewide screening and control policy was imple-mented in Western Australia (WA) after an outbreak ofepidemic MRSA in a Perth hospital in 1982. We report onstatutory notifications from1998 to 2002 and review the 20-year period from 1983 to 2002. The rate of reporting ofcommunity-associated Western Australia MRSA (WAMR-SA) escalated from 1998 to 2002 but may have peaked in2001. Several outbreaks were halted, but they resulted inan increase in reports as a result of screening. A notableincrease in ciprofloxacin resistance during the study periodwas observed as a result of more United Kingdom epidem-ic MRSA (EMRSA) -15 and -16. WA has seen a persistent-ly low incidence of multidrug-resistant MRSA because ofthe screening and decolonization program. Non–multidrug-resistant, community-associated WAMRSA strains havenot established in WA hospitals.