Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusin Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

A neonatal intensive care unit outbreak was caused by a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus previously found in the community (ST45-MRSA-IV). Fifteen infected neonates were identified, 2 of whom died. This outbreak illustrates how a rare community pathogen can rapidly spread through nosocomial transmission.

Optimal Surveillance Culture Sites for Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Newborns

“…Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) is increasingly recognized as a cause of serious infections in neonates (8), and outbreaks in the NICU have been reported (5,20). More recently, an outbreak of CA-MRSA infections was reported among healthy newborns and maternity patients in a hospital setting (3).…”

Long Persistence of Methicillin-Susceptible Strains of Staphylococcus aureus Causing Sepsis in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

“…Clone E corresponded to a MRSA strain which presented certain genetic determinants, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV and PVL genes, characteristics of community-associated MRSA strains (17). We do not know how this neonate acquired this MRSA strain, but recent reports have illustrated the penetration of a community pathogen into the NICU, where nosocomial transmission may rapidly spread the microorganism (7,13).…”

“…In recent reports (14,15), S. aureus was found to be responsible for 7.8% of cases of late-onset sepsis (LOS) and 3% of cases of early-onset sepsis (EOS) in very-low-birth-weight (Ͻ1,500 g) neonatal infants. Furthermore, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), either nosocomially or community acquired, has emerged as a challenging pathogen in NICUs (7,13).…”

Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Israel: Dissemination of Global Clones and Unique Features

“…The epidemiology of CA-MRSA was studied in the pediatric population of southern Israel, where 5.7% of infants were found to be colonized, mostly by a unique MRSA staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV (SCCmec-IV) clonal complex (CC), 913 (1). However, data regarding the molecular epidemiology of community-acquired MRSA among adults, and data on HA-MRSA infections in Israel, are limited to small series or case reports (6,29,30).…”