The Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program: results of the first 18 months of surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canadian hospitals.

The emergence of organisms resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents is occurring worldwide. Among these organisms, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been found to have a major impact on patient care and has been responsible for numerous outbreaks in hospitals. The prevalence of MRSA increased from < 3% in the early 1980s to rates as high as 40% in many hospitals in the United States and Europe. The first outbreak due to MRSA in Canada was reported in 1981. Since then, MRSA has been identified in many Canadian hospitals and long-term care facilities. Community-acquired MRSA has also been described in Aboriginal communities in the Prairie provinces . However, nationwide data describing the incidence and epidemiology of MRSA infection in Canada were not available prior to 1995. This report presents preliminary results of the first national MRSA surveillance study, conducted as part of the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP).