Identification of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus in jail populations

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of soft tissue and skin infection, but also causes pneumonia, endocarditis, and bone infection. The same infections can be caused by methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), but are much more difficult to treat because MRSA is highly resistant to antibiotics. In ethnic and socioeconomic minority groups, methicillin resistance in S. aureus is 30 % higher than the general population. As a result, methicillin resistance is likely to have higher prevalence in jails and prisons where the demographic is disproportionately represented by ethnic minorities, individuals with lower average socioeconomic status, and less access to healthcare. Jail inmates are an understudied but very important population because diseases acquired in jails can be easily introduced into the general population and vice versa because cycling into and out of jail is very common. The presence of S. aureus is an important determinant of the development of soft tissue and other infections, making the detection of this bacteria and the identification of antibiotic resistance essential in assessing risk of disease. In this study, we identified S. aureus in samples from a United States county jail through bacterial plating and DNA extraction. Methicillin resistance was identified in S. aureus positive samples through PCR and sequencing. Our analysis has found elevated rates of S. aureus in the jail population being studied. This project will determine if rates of S. aureus and methicillin resistance in S. aureus isolated from this demographic are disproportionate to the general population.