Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Staphylococcus aureus has been recognized as an extremely successful hospital pathogen that has established itself firmly in the community as well. In addition to its compendium of virulence factors, it has the immense propensity to develop resistance to antimicrobials belonging to different classes. The emergence of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) that carries transferable multiple antibiotic resistance to the class of β-lactams alone or to other antimicrobials as well, is a serious public health concern. The development of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) from a genetic lineage different from that of hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) was unexpected, as was the observation that different strains of CA-MRSA from different parts of the world co-evolved simultaneously. Considering these observations with the virulence of the organism, and the transferable nature of the methicillin resistance genetic element, it is not surprising that MRSA is regarded as a pathogen that warrants utmost attention of the medical and scientific community. The need for urgent measures for its control cannot be overemphasized.

Keywords: MRSA, CA-MRSA, MDR, S. aureus, community acquired infection, hospital settings, nosocomil, β-lactams