Environmental Surveillance for MRSA

The role of the inanimate environment, including the air, in the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is unclear; however, there are certain situations when evaluation of MRSA contamination of the environment is indicated. At this point, conventional culture methods are predominantly used, with molecular methods reserved for characterization of recovered isolates. A variety of methods are available for environmental sampling, and the objectives of sampling must be considered when choosing the appropriate technique.