TY - JOUR AU - Alesana-Slater, James AU - Ritchie, Stephen R. AU - Heffernan, Helen AU - Camp, Tracy AU - Richardson, Alice AU - Herbison, Peter AU - Norris, Pauline T1 - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Samoa, 2007–2008 T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2011 VL - 17 IS - 6 SP - 1023 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Little is known about the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in most Pacific Island nations. Relatively high rates of MRSA have been reported in Polynesian people living outside the Pacific 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 identified; 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 Pacific MRSA clone was identified 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 Pacific Island nations. KW - Staphylococcus aureus KW - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus KW - wound infection KW - soft tissue infection KW - drug resistance KW - bacteria KW - Samoa KW - research DO - 10.3201/eid1706.101083 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/6/10-1083_article ER - End of Reference