Coming to a practice near you? community-acquired meticillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (ca-mrsa)

Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is classically associated with healthcare interventions. Consequently, hospital admission represents a prominent risk factor for the acquisition of certain epidemic strains of MRSA, leading to the term ‘hospital-acquired infection’ (HAI). This was modified to ‘healthcare associated infection’ acknowledging patient movement between healthcare and community settings, despite the MRSA strains remaining identical.

New strains termed community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), with distinct phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, emerged in the last ten years and are now widespread in the USA. As cases have been reported in the UK and the incidence is likely to increase,1 the dental team should have an understanding of this emerging pathogen and their role in preventing further spread. This article provides a background on the origins of this bacterium, discusses its occurrence in the oral cavity and highlights current treatment and prevention strategies. Dental healthcare workers should have sufficient knowledge to manage patients colonized or infected with any strain of MRSA competently.