Epidemiology of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Latin America

Abstract Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a serious threat to public health worldwide. Ongoing surveillance is essential to support infection control committees and clinicians in the prevention and treatment of infection. However, in Latin America, resources for monitorin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of antimicrobial agents 2009-10, Vol.34 (4), p.304-308
Main Authors: Guzmán-Blanco, Manuel, Mejía, Carlos, Isturiz, Raul, Alvarez, Carlos, Bavestrello, Luis, Gotuzzo, Eduardo, Labarca, Jaime, Luna, Carlos M, Rodríguez-Noriega, Eduardo, Salles, Mauro J.C, Zurita, Jeannete, Seas, Carlos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibacterial agents
Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents
Bacterial diseases
Biological and medical sciences
Human bacterial diseases
Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections
Staphylococcus aureus
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Summary:Abstract Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a serious threat to public health worldwide. Ongoing surveillance is essential to support infection control committees and clinicians in the prevention and treatment of infection. However, in Latin America, resources for monitoring the changing epidemiology of MRSA remain limited. In this article, we review the current situation of MRSA in Latin America in order to highlight the need for a more harmonised effort to improve its management. Literature in the PubMed and SciELO databases as well as the website of the Pan American Health Organization were searched for articles and information about the epidemiology of MRSA in Latin America. MRSA is already the leading cause of nosocomial infection in the Latin American region, and the number of reports of community-acquired MRSA infections is also rising. However, the extent of the problem is not fully understood, especially since data tend to come from large hospitals whereas much of the population is served by small community healthcare centres that do not have extensive facilities for performing microbiological surveillance. In conclusion, wider-reaching and co-ordinated programmes to provide regular MRSA surveillance reports are required across the Latin American region.
ISSN:0924-8579
1872-7913
DOI:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2009.06.005