ABSTRACT
Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-
MRSA) was initially defined as an infection with methicillin-resistant
S. aureus (MRSA) in an outpatient or in a patient that manifested infection
within 48 hours of hospital admission (1). It was soon recognized that CA-
MRSA has unique characteristics not related to time of onset or hospital-
ization that differentiate it from health care-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA).
These include epidemiology, presentation, treatment, and genetic profile.
