Staphylococcus aureus is a common human pathogen. S aureus infections most commonly clinically manifest as skin infections. There has been much interest in S aureus infections in the community over the past decade because of the rise of community-associated methicillin-resistant S aureus (CA-MRSA) infections, which have emerged globally over a relatively short period of time. In contrast to health care-associated methicillin resistant S aureus (HA-MRSA), circulating strains of CA-MRSA have characteristic pathogenesis, strain characteristics, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations that are distinct from HA-MRSA. In fact, CA-MRSA probably behaves more like community-associated methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA). This article reviews current knowledge of the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of community-associated S aureus and CA-MRSA infections.
aHarbor-UCLA Medical Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control Program, 1000 W. Carson Street, Box 466, Torrance CA 90509, USA
bLos Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
cDavid Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
dDepartment of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital MC3-2371, Infectious Disease Service, 6621 Fannin, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Corresponding author. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control Program, 1000 W. Carson Street, Box 466, Torrance CA 90509.
ABSTRACT