Drug-resistant Staph Infection Appears More Widespread Than Previously Thought
October 18, 2007 | Source: JAMA & Archives
Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appear to be more prevalent than previously believed, affecting certain populations disproportionately and are being found more often outside of health care settings, according to a study in the October 17 issue of JAMA.
MRSA has become the most frequent cause of skin and soft tissue infections among patients presenting to emergency departments in the United States, and can also cause severe, sometimes fatal invasive disease.
94,360 invasive MRSA infections occurred in the United States in 2005; these infections were associated with death in 18,650 cases.