Occurrence of MRSA infection increases in summer, autumn months
March 25th, 2011 - 5:10 pm ICT by ANIWashington, March 25 (ANI): Scientists have found a significant increase in the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the summer and autumn months.
The increase was more pronounced in the pediatric population than in adults.
Lead author Leonard Mermel, medical director of the department of epidemiology and infection control at Rhode Island Hospital, and his colleagues conducted a retrospective 10-year study by examining MRSA isolates submitted to the hospital’s microbiology laboratory.
Their findings indicate that for pediatric patients there were approximately 1.85 times as many community-associated (CA) MRSA infections and 2.94 as many hospital-associated (HA) MRSA infections in the third and fourth quarters of the year than in the first two quarters.
For adults, there were 1.14 times as many CA-MRSA infections in the second two quarters as in the first two quarters, but no seasonal variation was observed in adult HA-MRSA infections.
The researchers also reviewed published articles over the last 70 years that had any mention of seasonality and Staph aureus infections. They summarized the literature search in two comprehensive tables that reveal an increased incidence of such infections during summer and autumn in many temperate regions of the world and during the warmest months of the year in tropical regions.
The researchers believe that it is the sequence of the third and fourth quarters that is important in demonstrating the peak in MRSA infections rather than just the warmest quarter of the year.
The researchers note that hydration of the skin is important for microbial growth, and maximum hydration is achieved when high temperatures combine with high relative humidity, which also promotes increased sweat production.
“The presence of both factors, heat and humidity, may be critically important in providing the environmental conditions that facilitate heavy grown of S. aureus on the skin,” Mermel said.
The study has been published online in advance of print in PloS ONE. (ANI)
- Proper care, not type on antibiotic, key to healing kids' skin wounds - Feb 21, 2011
- MRSA danger in gyms may be exaggerated - Mar 04, 2011
- Nanoparticles can heal abscesses - Dec 26, 2009
- Cranberry juice can block Staph infections - Sep 02, 2010
- Study sheds light on quantity of MRSA at different body sites - Jan 06, 2011
- Scientists one step closer to developing vaccine for MRSA - Jan 17, 2011
- New MRSA strain found on Isle of Man - Dec 25, 2010
- Harvard team crack superbugs' genetic code - May 23, 2012
- Why H1N1 increased mortality in healthy kids? - Nov 07, 2011
- Blue light eradicates antibiotic-resistant staph infection in lab - Jan 30, 2009
- Athletes 'prone to skin infections' - Feb 06, 2011
- Scientists crack secret of superbug's resistance - Apr 29, 2011
- A pair of clean hands can save lives (May 5 is World Hand Hygiene Day) - May 04, 2011
- Lifeline for 'antibiotic of last resort' unveiled - Apr 12, 2010
- New plasma prototype devices may help destroy MRSA - Nov 27, 2009
Tags: author leonard, epidemiology and infection, high temperatures, infection control, infection increases, literature search, maximum hydration, microbial growth, microbiology laboratory, mrsa infections, pediatric patients, pediatric population, regions of the world, relative humidity, resistant staphylococcus aureus, seasonal variation, seasonality, staph aureus, temperate regions, tropical regions