Epidemiology and Clonality of Community‐Acquired Methicillin‐ResistantStaphylococcus aureusin Minnesota, 1996–1998

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged among patients in the general population who do not have established risk factors for MRSA. Records from 10 Minnesota health facilities were reviewed to identify cases of MRSA infection that occurred during 1996-1998 and to identify which cases were community acquired. Susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtyping were performed on available isolates. A total of 354 patients (median age, 16 years) with community-acquired MRSA (CAMRSA) infection were identified. Most case patients (299 [84%]) had skin infections, and 103 (29%) were hospitalized. More than 90% of isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested, with the exception of beta-lactams and erythromycin. Of 334 patients treated with antimicrobial agents, 282 (84%) initially were treated with agents to which their isolates were nonsusceptible. Of 174 Minnesota isolates tested, 150 (86%) belonged to 1 PFGE clonal group. CAMRSA infections were identified throughout Minnesota; although most isolates were genetically related and susceptible to multiple antimicrobials, they were generally nonsusceptible to initial empirical therapy.