Epidemiology and Prevention of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Transmission in the Community

The overall goals of this project are to:

1. to investigate the determinants of and evaluate potential interventions to reduce the
spread of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in community
settings in order to reduce the burden of this illness in the State of Pennsylvania.
This objective has the following specific aims:

- to identify host, microbiological and environmental risk factors for prolonged MRSA
colonization, MRSA transmission and clinical MRSA infection among patients with
MRSA skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and their household contacts and to
use stochastic agent-based modeling methods to quantify secondary spread of CO-MRSA
in households.

- to evaluate the impact of a decolonization intervention on MRSA infections in the
household.

- to identify immunological mechanisms underlying the ability of Streptococcus
pneumoniae colonization to inhibit MRSA colonization, transmission and infection in
order to identify potential future immunological targets for interventions.

2. to foster multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations and develop the
infrastructure for a Center of Excellence focused on antimicrobial drug resistance
research, with the capacity for activities linking basic science, epidemiological and
clinical intervention studies

3. to enhance opportunities for basic and clinical research training for undergraduate and
graduate students, particularly from underrepresented minorities, in order to increase
the pipeline of future biomedical scientists and clinical investigators

Inclusion Criteria:

- All members of a household in which the index case is treated for a skin or soft
tissue infection due to MRSA. All household members must agree to participate in order
for the household to be enrolled

Exclusion Criteria:

- Prior MRSA within past 6 months in the index case; age less than 6 months.