Large City Hospitals: Breeding Grounds for MRSA

Superbug MRSA spreads from hospitals in large cities to regional health centers, suggests study.

Researchers found evidence that shows for the first time how the superbug spreads between different hospitals throughout the country.

MRSA “Super bug” – Symptoms - Risk Factors – Diagnosis - Treatment
MRSA infection is the most dreaded hospital or community acquired infection that can become life-threatening.

The University of Edinburgh study involved looking at the genetic make-up of more than 80 variants of a major clone of MRSA found in hospitals.

Scientists were able to determine the entire genetic code of MRSA bacteria taken from infected patients.

They then identified mutations in the bug which led to their emergence of new MRSA variants and traced their spread around the country

Introduction Of Infections
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Dr Ross Fitzgerald, of The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, who led the study said: "We found that variants of MRSA circulating in regional hospitals probably originated in large city hospitals. The high levels of patient traffic in large hospitals means they act as a hub for transmission between patients, who may then be transferred or treated in regional hospitals."

MRSA – methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – first started to appear around 50 years ago following the introduction of antibiotics, to which the bacteria has become increasingly resistant.

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Paul McAdam, of The Roslin Institute and first author of the paper, said: "Our findings suggest that the referral of patients to different hospitals is a major cause of MRSA transmission around the country. This knowledge could help in finding ways to prevent the spread of infections.

The paper published in the journal PNAS, also found that the MRSA strain studied evolved from antibiotic-sensitive bacteria that existed more than 100 years ago.

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Significantly lower rates of MRSA bloodstream infections (BSI) are found in hospitals whose infection prevention and control programs are led by a director

Source-Eurekalert