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Spread of a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST80-IV Clone in a Danish Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Tinna Urth
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg Hospital–Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Gitte Juul
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg Hospital–Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Robert Skov
Affiliation:
National Center for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
Henrik C. Schønheyder*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg Hospital–Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aalborg Hospital–Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
*
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg Hospital, P.O. Box 365, DK-9100 Aalborg, Denmark. prof1@aas.nja.dk

Abstract

Objective:

We report a community cluster of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Denmark with emphasis on routes of transmission and infection control measures. The objective is to extend knowledge of MRSA in a community setting where a nosocomial link could effectively be ruled out.

Design:

Population-based observational study from November 1997 until June 2003.

Setting:

North Jutland County, with approximately 495,000 inhabitants.

Subjects:

The cluster encompassed 46 individuals and 26 households.

Interventions:

Infection control measures included repeated visits to affected households by an infection control nurse who undertook screening for carriage among all household members and provided a program for decolonization.

Results:

The causal strain was identical to a newly described international clone, ST80; SSCmec type IV; and Panton–Valentine leukocidin positive. Plausible routes of transmission included household contact and contact at work, kindergarten, and school. We did not detect a nosocomial source or any secondary cases in hospitals. Transmission by healthcare contact outside the hospital was plausible for three cases. We found evidence that the clone was introduced on more than one occasion to immigrant families from the Middle East. A 5-day decolonization program was successful at first attempt in 15 of 16 households that could be evaluated.

Conclusions:

Despite the described infection control measures, we continued to see new cases, underlining a need for a national policy to contain MRSA in the community.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2005

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