MRSA In The World

MRSA in the World
Methicillian-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, is any strain of the bacteria S.aureus that has evolved a resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, which includes the penicillin and cephalosporin family. This creates world-wide concern because there aren’t too many antibiotics left to treat S. aureus if the drug evolves greater resistances to stronger antibiotics.
MRSA is one of the top leading causes of nosocomial acquired infections. According to an article featured in one of the top medical magazines Emerging Infectious Diseases, MRSA is responsible for infections such as: lower respiratory tract infections, surgical site infections, nosocomial bacteremia, pneumonia, and cardiovascular infections.
aureus resistance to penicillin and other narrow spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics soon began after these drugs began to be used clinically in the 1940’s. Around the 1960’s when some strains of S.aureus were no longer effectively treated with classic penicillin treatment, methicillin, nafcillin, and oxacillin became the next line of antibiotics used to treat S.aureus infections.
In about 1970 is when the first appearance of methicillin resistant S.aureus started to appear and was deemed MRSA. MRSA was at first only limited to hospitals, but eventually began to spread to the community with the increased and wide spread use of antibiotics. Community acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is so rampant now that it is being spread to hospitals and care facilities (from the community) instead of the hospitals being the initial culprit. The annual nationwide cost to treat hospitalized patients who are experiencing an MRSA infection is $3.2-$4.2 billion. (2)
Infections caused by CA-MRSA most commonly present as skin or soft tissue sores that resemble pimples, spider bites, or boils. Within 48 hours of initial onset, the bumps become larger and exhibit increased pain. They eventually develop into deep, pus filled boils, but most of the time (75% of cases) remain localized to the skin or soft tissue and can be treated effectively without extensive
One exotoxin of great concern regarding CA-MRSA is pantone-valentine leukocidin gene (PVL).
The involvement of PVL in CA-MRSA infections has been circumstantial (not directly proven, but widely accepted) and is associated with the increase in virulence in most strains of CA-MRSA. PVL is present in the majority of strains of CA-MRSA, and is responsible for leukocyte destruction as well as necrotic lesions of the skin and mucosa.
A relatively recent discovery related to MRSA virulence involve amoebas. Amoebas are single celled protozoa’s that are usually found in pond water, but are also very common in hospital vases, sinks and walls. Amoeba ingest MRSA, but instead of being digested, MRSA is able to survive and replicate within the cell. There is much more that needs to be studied to understand amoebas role in MRSA virulence, but current studies do suggest that after amoeba interaction, MRSA numbers tend to increase 1000 fold. Since amoeba use aero soluble cysts to help them spread, MRSA can be transferred by air to different locations.
Some of the technique for reducing the incidence of MRSA infections in the hospital are as