Contamination of Hands with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus after Contact with Environmental Surfaces and after Contact with the Skin of Colonized Patients

In a study of 40 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers, hand contamination was equally likely after contact with commonly examined skin sites and commonly touched environmental surfaces in patient rooms (40% vs 45%). These findings suggest that contaminated surfaces may be an important source of MRSA transmission. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2011; 32(2):185-187