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Proposed definitions of community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA).

Millar BC, Loughrey A, Elborn JS, Moore JE

Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK.

A new type of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is emerging as a significant pathogen in otherwise healthy individuals in the community. This MRSA is distinct from healthcare-associated (HA)-MRSA, in terms of epidemiology, microbiology and clinical manifestations. A considerable number of reports are beginning to appear describing the organism and associated infections in the literature. However, within these reports, there is a lack of consensus as to the terminology used to describe community-associated (CA)-MRSA. This confusion is further compounded with the recent emergence of nosocomial transmission of CA-MRSA within hospitals. The aim of this article is to highlight the differences between HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA and to propose standard definitions of the various subgroups of CA-MRSA.

Published 15 October 2007 in J Hosp Infect, 67(2): 109-13.
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