Methicillin‐ResistantStaphylococcus aureus:An Evolving Clinical Challenge

Abstract

Many medical professionals have experienced firsthand the dramatic increase in Staphylococcus aureus infections—particularly infections with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains—in their practices. One only has to look at stories in the national and local media about outbreaks of MRSA infection to appreciate how widespread MRSA has become. Recently, Klevens et al. [1], using data from the Active Bacterial Core surveillance system of the Emerging Infections Program Network of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimated that, in the United States during 2005, there were 94,360 invasive MRSA infections and 18,650 related in-hospital deaths. Clearly, there is a compelling need to better understand the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of such infections.