MRSA infections down by 3.5 per cent

MRSA infections have fallen by 3.5 per cent for the first six months of the year compared to the same period a year ago.

However, new figures released by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) today, reveal that a number of other infections are showing increased resistance to drugs.

The HPSC said that it is not yet known if the decline in MRSA infections is due to better prevention methods or because strains of the superbug are less likely to cause infection.

According to the HSPC, improved infection prevention and control interventions are unlikely to fully explain the overall reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections because the number of infections caused by other antibiotic-resistant bacteria has not declined and neither has the amount of reported meticillin-sensitive Staph aureus (MSSA) cases.

Additionally, the HSPC said the level of hospital antibiotic use remains at a high level compared to other European countries.

HPSC consultant microbiologist Dr Robert Cunney said that while the number of MRSA infections had declined, there had been a rise in other infections.

"Worryingly, a number of other infections are showing an increased resistance to drugs. These include Streptococcus pneumoniae - the most common cause of pneumonia outside of hospitals and an important cause of meningitis in young children – E.coli which causes kidney infections and is an important cause of wound-related and bloodstream infections in hospital, and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE)," said Dr Cunney.

Levels of penicillin resistance in Ireland has been rising steadily since 2004 and 18 per cent of reported pneumococcal bloodstream infections were caused by antibiotic resistant isolates in the first half of 2008, the HSPC said.

Meanwhile, levels of resistance to the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics which are commonly used to treat kidney infections and pneumonia, has increased from 12.6 per cent in 2004 to 22.5 per cent for the first half of 2008. In addition, the proportion of multiple-drug resistant E. coli strains has increased from 5.6 per cent to 12.5 per cent over the same period.

Ireland currently has the second highest reported rate of VRE in Europe at 33 per cent, the HSPC said.

Dr Cunney said that a number of new initiatives should help to address the issue of antibiotic resistance. However, he warned that even with interventions more needs to be done to bring down the rate of infections.

"Investment in infection prevention and control structures, and in interventions to limit inappropriate antibiotic use, can bring major cost savings to the health service but, more importantly, will also save lives."