Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus   (MRSA) in community-acquired primary pyoderma

Background: Although prevalence of MRSA strains is reported to be increasing, there are no studies of their prevalence in community-acquired primary pyodermas in western India.
Aims: This study aimed at determining the prevalence of MRSA infection in community-acquired primary pyodermas.
Methods: Open, prospective survey carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai.
Materials and Methods: Eighty-six patients with primary pyoderma, visiting the dermatology outpatient, were studied clinically and microbiologically. Sensitivity testing was done for vancomycin, sisomycin, gentamicin, framycetin, erythromycin, methicillin, cefazolin, cefuroxime, penicillin G and ciprofloxacin. Phage typing was done for MRSA positive strains.
Results : The culture positivity rate was 83.7%. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in all cases except two. Barring one, all strains of Staphylococcus were sensitive to methicillin.
Conclusions: Methicillin resistance is uncommon in community-acquired primary pyodermas in Mumbai. Treatment with antibacterials active against MRSA is probably unwarranted for community-acquired primary pyodermas.

Keywords
Community-acquired primary pyoderma, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus