Incidences of hospital-acquired infections involving USA 300, the most common strain of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, are declining. However, outside of healthcare facilities, MRSA infection rates are holding steady, according to a paper published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
"Decreases in hospital-onset MRSA [bloodstream infections] may be due to substantial efforts aimed to reduce healthcare-associated infection," Kyle J. Popovich, MD, assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and lead author of the study, said in a statement. "Enhanced prevention efforts in the community for certain populations, such as those engaging in illicit drug use, may be necessary to further curb the spread of invasive MRSA infections."
The USA 300 strain is responsible for more than half of hospital-acquired MRSA infection over the past 15, according to the study.