Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Little is known about the epidemiology of methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in most Pacifi c Island nations. Relatively high rates of MRSA have been reported in Polynesian people living outside the Pacifi c Islands. To determine the prevalence and characteristics of MRSA, we assessed wound swabs from 399 persons with skin and soft tissue infection living in Samoa. MRSA was isolated from 9 % of study participants; 34 of the 196 S. aureus isolates were MRSA. Five MRSA genotypes were identifi ed; the 3 most common were USA300, the Queensland clone, and a sequence type 1 MRSA strain that shares <85 % homology with the sequence type 1 MRSA strain common in the region (WA MRSA-1). The Southwest Pacifi c MRSA clone was identifi ed but accounted for only 12 % of MRSA isolates. The high prevalence of MRSA in Samoa provides impetus for initiatives to improve antimicrobial drug resistance surveillance, infection control, and antimicrobial drug use in Pacifi c Island nations. Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become a global health concern during the past 2–3 decades. The epidemiology of MRSA has demonstrated marked geographic variation in the prevalence and genotypes of MRSA (1,2), and recent reports from many parts of the world indicate that the prevalence and diversity of MRSA continue to increase (3,4). Studies of the global epidemiology frequently have not included MRSA obtained from persons living in developing nations.