Outbreaks of Infection Caused by Community‐Acquired Methicillin‐Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i>in a Canadian Correctional Facility

BACKGROUND: Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been identified in prison settings in the United States. The present study investigated two clusters of skin and soft tissue infection caused by community‐acquired (CA) MRSA in a correctional facility in southern Ontario.METHODS: Outbreak investigations were conducted by the responsible public health authority. Strain relatedness was assessed through comparison of pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis and antibiograms.RESULTS: Two distinct outbreaks of CAMRSA‐associated disease occurred in 2002 and 2004. Most patients presented with abscesses in the lower extremities. All isolates had identical DNA banding patterns on pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis. One‐half of the affected inmates resided in a cellblock with one other affected inmate. No other risk factors were identified.CONCLUSIONS: One of the first outbreaks of CAMRSA infections in a correctional facility in Canada is documented. Taken in conjunction with outbreaks elsewhere, this suggests that residence in correctional facilities may be a risk factor for CAMRSA infection.

Outbreaks of Infection Caused by Community‐Acquired Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Canadian Correctional Facility Journal Articles