MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

MRSA -- what is it, and how do we deal with the problem?

Barrett JF

Merck Research Laboratories, 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. john_barrett2@merck.com

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a serious nosocomial pathogen, and more recent reports in the scientific literature underscore the potential issues with emerging community-MRSA. MRSA is reported to be involved in > 50% of hospital S. aureus infections, more in the intensive care unit (ICU) than the non-ICU, and increases in multi-drug resistant MRSA and increasingly virulent MRSA have been reported. Together with its broad-based beta-lactam resistance, MRSA often possesses a multi-drug resistance genotype, including cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and macrolide resistances. MRSA has now emerged as the predominant nosocomial Gram-positive pathogen, and it has a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Action must be taken to contain and eradicate MRSA through a combination of infection control, the development of novel anti-MRSA agents, development of vaccines and other non-traditional approaches of intervention.

Published 6 June 2005 in Expert Opin Ther Targets, 9(2): 253-65.
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