TY - JOUR AU - Turabelidze, George AU - Lin, Mei AU - Wolkoff, Barbara AU - Dodson, Douglas AU - Gladbach, Stephen AU - Zhu, Bao-Ping T1 - Personal Hygiene and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2006 VL - 12 IS - 3 SP - 422 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections outside the healthcare setting are an increasing concern. We conducted a case-control study to investigate an MRSA outbreak during 2002–2003 in a Missouri prison and focused on hygiene factors. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and hygiene practices of study participants was collected by interview and medical record review. Logistic regression was used to evaluate MRSA infection in relation to hygiene factors individually and as a composite hygiene score; potential confounding factors were controlled. Selected MRSA isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). MRSA infection was significantly associated with a low composite hygiene score. Transmission among prison inmates appeared to be responsible for this outbreak. PFGE analysis showed that isolates were indistinguishable and associated with community-onset MRSA infections in other US prisons. Improving hygiene practices and environmental conditions may help prevent and interrupt future MRSA outbreaks in prison settings. KW - hygiene KW - MRSA KW - outbreak KW - research KW - United States DO - 10.3201/eid1203.050625 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/12/3/05-0625_article ER - End of Reference