Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was first observed less than a year after the development of methicillin in 1960. Since that time it has become an important nosocomial pathogen: the rate of hospital acquired MRSA infections is still on the rise and studies have shown that MRSA perseveres at acquiring antibiotic resistance. Additionally, the occurrence of infections caused by community acquired MRSA cases has increased in recent years. In this study, isolates were collected from fifty unique sample sites throughout the Fort Lewis College campus and analyzed for presence of MRSA. The incidence of MRSA found in the community was compared with hospital MRSA rates obtained from a British Department of Health MRSA surveillance campaign. Results indicate that the incidence of MRSA found in the community is less than half of the incidence of MRSA found in the hospital setting. MRSA is an important pathogen in both the community and hospital environments and novel and innovative methods of decontamination and prevention of cross-contamination are necessary in order to contain the increasing rates of MRSA infections.
