TY - JOUR AU - Dailey, Lynne AU - Coombs, Geoffrey AU - O'Brien, Frances AU - Pearman, John AU - Christiansen, Keryn AU - Grubb, Warren AU - Riley, Thomas T1 - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Western Australia T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2005 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 1584 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to be a notable cause of hospital-acquired infections. A statewide screening and control policy was implemented in Western Australia (WA) after an outbreak of epidemic MRSA in a Perth hospital in 1982. We report on statutory notifications from1998 to 2002 and review the 20-year period from 1983 to 2002. The rate of reporting of community-associated Western Australia MRSA (WAMRSA) escalated from 1998 to 2002 but may have peaked in 2001. Several outbreaks were halted, but they resulted in an increase in reports as a result of screening. A notable increase in ciprofloxacin resistance during the study period was observed as a result of more United Kingdom epidemic MRSA (EMRSA) -15 and -16. WA has seen a persistently low incidence of multidrug-resistant MRSA because of the screening and decolonization program. Non–multidrug-resistant, community-associated WAMRSA strains have not established in WA hospitals. KW - Staphylococcus aureus KW - community-associated MRSA KW - epidemiology KW - surveillance KW - multi-drug resistance KW - research KW - Australia DO - 10.3201/eid1110.050125 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/10/05-0125_article ER - End of Reference