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.

Quality Control of Direct Molecular Diagnostics for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

van Belkum A, Niesters HG, Mackay WG, van Leeuwen WB

Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Unit Research and Development, Erasmus MC, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands. a.vanbelkum@erasmusmc.nl.

Ten samples containing various amounts of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE), and combinations thereof were distributed to 51 laboratories for molecular diagnostics testing. Samples containing 10(2) to 10(3) MRSA cells were frequently reported to be negative. MRSE samples were scored as negative by all commercial tests but by only two out of three in-house tests.

Published 6 August 2007 in J Clin Microbiol, 45(8): 2698-700.
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