Staphylococcus aureus Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Recurrence Rates in Outpatients: A Retrospective Database Study at 3 US Medical Centers.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections (SA-SSTIs) are common in healthcare and community settings, and recurrences occur at variable frequency, even after successful initial treatment. Knowing the exact burden and timing of recurrent disease is critical to planning and evaluating interventions to prevent recurrent SSTIs.

Methods: In this retrospective study, SSTI cases in patients aged ≥18 years at 3 US medical centers (Columbia, Chicago, Vanderbilt) between 2006 and 2016 were analyzed according to a biennial cohort design.

Reduced Mortality of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in a Retrospective Cohort Study of 2139 Patients: 2007-2015.

Background: Understanding the changing epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, as well as the variables associated with poor outcomes, can yield insight into potential interventions.

Methods: This study was a retrospective, observational cohort study of adult patients at an academic medical center in New York City who had S. aureus bloodstream infections between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2015.

Topical vancomycin for neurosurgery wound prophylaxis: an interim report of a randomized clinical trial on drug safety in a diverse neurosurgical population.

Objective: Postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) in neurosurgical patients carry a significant risk of increased morbidity and mortality. With SSIs accounting for approximately 20% of nosocomial infections and costing approximately $1.6 billion USD annually, there is a need for additional prophylaxis to improve current standards of care.

New York City House Mice (Mus musculus) as Potential Reservoirs for Pathogenic Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants.

House mice () thrive in large urban centers worldwide. Nonetheless, little is known about the role that they may play in contributing to environmental contamination with potentially pathogenic bacteria. Here, we describe the fecal microbiome of house mice with emphasis on detection of pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes by molecular methods.

Drug Use Is Associated With Purulent Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in a Large Urban Jail: 2011-2015.

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are a common problem in jails in the United States. This study aimed to identify factors associated with purulent SSTIs in the New York City jail system.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of purulent SSTIs at the New York City jail.

Endocarditis After Upper Endoscopy.

is commonly found in gastrointestinal flora and used in probiotics but is a rare human pathogen. We report a case of endocarditis following upper endoscopy in a frequent consumer of yogurt containing the organism, who required aortic and mitral valve replacement for cure.

Reduced Vancomycin Susceptibility of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Has No Significant Impact on Mortality but Results in an Increase in Complicated Infection.

Methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) bloodstream infections (BSIs) often lead to severe complications despite the availability of effective antibiotics. It remains unclear whether elevated vancomycin MICs are associated with worse outcomes. We conducted a 2-year retrospective cohort study ( = 252) of patients with MSSA BSIs at a tertiary care hospital.

The Surface Protein SdrF Mediates Staphylococcus epidermidis Adherence to Keratin.

Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis, a major component of skin flora, is an opportunist, often causing prosthetic device infections. A family of structurally related proteins mediates staphylococcal attachment to host tissues, contributing to the success of S. epidermidis as a pathogen.

Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections: Research Priorities, Accomplishments, and Future Directions of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.

Antimicrobial resistance in gram-positive bacteria remains a challenge in infectious diseases. The mission of the Gram-Positive Committee of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) is to advance knowledge in the prevention, management, and treatment of these challenging infections to improve patient outcomes. Our committee has prioritized projects involving methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) due to the scope of the medical threat posed by these pathogens.

Germicidal Efficacy and Mammalian Skin Safety of 222-nm UV Light.

We have previously shown that 207-nm ultraviolet (UV) light has similar antimicrobial properties as typical germicidal UV light (254 nm), but without inducing mammalian skin damage. The biophysical rationale is based on the limited penetration distance of 207-nm light in biological samples (e.g.

Evolutionary Dynamics of Pandemic Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus ST398 and Its International Spread via Routes of Human Migration.

Unlabelled: Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) accounts for the majority of S. aureus infections globally, and yet surprisingly little is known about its clonal evolution. We applied comparative whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analyses to epidemiologically and geographically diverse ST398-MSSA, a pandemic lineage affecting both humans and livestock.

Protection Against Colonization in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in an Inner-City Outpatient Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) have been disproportionally affected by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) colonization and infection, in particular by clones USA300 and USA500. However, the contribution of epidemiological, bacterial, and immunological risk factors to the excess of in PLWH remain incompletely understood.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of colonization in 93 PLWH attending an urban human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinic.

HIV and colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in two maximum-security prisons in New York State.

Objective: To evaluate the association between HIV and Staphylococcus aureus colonization after confounding by incarceration is removed.

Method: A cross sectional stratified study of all HIV infected and a random sample of HIV-uninfected inmates from two maximum-security prisons in New York State. Structured interviews were conducted.

A Novel MSCRAMM Subfamily in Coagulase Negative Staphylococcal Species.

Coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) are important opportunistic pathogens. Staphylococcus epidermidis, a coagulase negative staphylococcus, is the third leading cause of nosocomial infections in the US. Surface proteins like Microbial Surface Components Recognizing Adhesive Matrix Molecules (MSCRAMMs) are major virulence factors of pathogenic gram positive bacteria.

Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Placement Is an Underrecognized Source of Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection.

Few studies have focused on the risks of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVs) as sources for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), a life-threatening complication. We identified 34 PIV-related infections (7.6%) in a cohort of 445 patients with SAB.

Association of Environmental Contamination in the Home With the Risk for Recurrent Community-Associated, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection.

Importance: The role of environmental contamination in recurrent Staphylococcus aureus infections within households and its potential effect on intervention strategies has been debated recently.

Objective: To assess whether household environmental contamination increases the risk for recurrent infection among individuals with a community-associated methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) infection.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study was conducted from November 1, 2011, to June 30, 2014, in the Columbia University Medical Center catchment area.

Preoperative chemotherapy and corticosteroids: independent predictors of cranial surgical-site infections.

OBJECT Preoperative corticosteroids and chemotherapy are frequently prescribed for patients undergoing cranial neurosurgery but may pose a risk of postoperative infection. Postoperative surgical-site infections (SSIs) have significant morbidity and mortality, dramatically increase the length and cost of hospitalization, and are a major cause of 30-day readmission. In patients undergoing cranial neurosurgery, there is a lack of data on the role of patient-specific risk factors in the development of SSIs.

Evolutionary Trade-Offs Underlie the Multi-faceted Virulence of Staphylococcus aureus.

Bacterial virulence is a multifaceted trait where the interactions between pathogen and host factors affect the severity and outcome of the infection. Toxin secretion is central to the biology of many bacterial pathogens and is widely accepted as playing a crucial role in disease pathology. To understand the relationship between toxicity and bacterial virulence in greater depth, we studied two sequenced collections of the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and found an unexpected inverse correlation between bacterial toxicity and disease severity.

Obesity as a Determinant of Staphylococcus aureus Colonization Among Inmates in Maximum-Security Prisons in New York State.

Obesity increases a person's susceptibility to a variety of infections, including Staphylococcus aureus infections, which is an important cause of morbidity in correctional settings. Using a cross-sectional design, we assessed the association between obesity and S. aureus colonization, a risk factor for subsequent infection, in New York State maximum-security prisons (2011-2013).

Prevalence and Predictors of Chronic Health Conditions of Inmates Newly Admitted to Maximum Security Prisons.

This study estimated the prevalence of chronic medical conditions and risk predictors of 759 newly admitted inmates in two New York State maximum-security prisons. The most prevalent conditions were respiratory (34.1%), cardiovascular (17.

Staphylococcus aureus infections: transmission within households and the community.

Staphylococcus aureus, both methicillin susceptible and resistant, are now major community-based pathogens worldwide. The basis for this is multifactorial and includes the emergence of epidemic clones with enhanced virulence, antibiotic resistance, colonization potential, or transmissibility. Household reservoirs of these unique strains are crucial to their success as community-based pathogens.

Epidemiological and biological determinants of Staphylococcus aureus clinical infection in New York State maximum security prisons.

Background: Large outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections have occurred in correctional facilities across the country. We aimed to define the epidemiological and microbiological determinants of SA infection in prisons to facilitate development of prevention strategies for this underserved population.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of SA infection at 2 New York State maximum security prisons.