MRSA skin infections up, linked to furunculosis

(HealthDay) -- The incidence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in the United States is increasing and is associated with follicular infection, most commonly folliculitis followed by furunculosis, according to a review published online July 16 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Keyvan Nouri, M.D., from the University of Miami, and colleagues reviewed the literature for articles on recurrent furunculosis secondary to CA-MRSA.

After excluding articles not referring to Staphylococcus aureus furunculosis from the 1,515 articles initially retrieved, only 91 articles were included in the review. The researchers found that furunculosis has been increasing within the United States secondary to the CA-MRSA epidemic and the resistant organism's close association with the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) virulence factor. PVL-associated follicular infections had the strongest association with furunculosis and its recurrence. The primary risk factor for recurrent furunculosis was the nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, which occurred in 60 percent of individuals.

"The majority of furuncles in the United States are caused by CA-MRSA, while elsewhere in the world they are caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus," the authors write.