Researchers: Dr Anna Beswick, Dr Paul Armstrong (Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health)
Funding:
Project summary: The Australian Collaborating Centre for Enterococcus and Staphylococcus Species (ACCESS) Typing and Research have, since 1997, been referred all isolates of MRSA in WA. The CDCD use this data to formulate strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality from MRSA. Over the last ten years there has been a dramatic increase in incidence of CA-MRSA infections across Australia, most marked in the Kimberley region (see appendix two of project proposal). It is hoped that by reviewing the burden of CA-MRSA cases on Kimberley emergency and inpatient health services, and by determining if particular strains are associated with deaths, co-morbidities, hospital attendances or the necessity for a procedure, that these findings can then be used to guide future strategies for the management of CA-MRSA within the Kimberley region and elsewhere in WA.
Progress: Ongoing