Community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage in hospitalized patients in tropical northern Australia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) was first reported in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. It is a prominent clinical pathogen in northern Australia with potential for transmission within the local hospital setting. AIM: To determine epidemiological characteristics of S. aureus carriage within the Royal Darwin Hospital. METHODS: We screened two patient groups: an 'admission group' recruited within 48 h of admission; and an 'inpatient group' recruited five or more days after admission. S. aureus isolates were characterized by antibiotic susceptibility testing and genotyped by a multi-locus sequence type-based high-resolution melting s..