MRSA and C. difficile infections fall by a third

16 July 2010

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has today published its annual figures on MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bloodstream infections and C. difficile (Clostridium difficile) infections for England and Wales.

There were a total of 1,898 cases of MRSA reported between April 2009 and March 2010, representing a 35% reduction in cases from the previous year when 2,935 cases were reported.

In the same period, 25,604 cases of C. difficile* were reported, representing a 29% reduction from the previous year when 36,095 cases were reported.

Of the total 1,898 MRSA cases reported, just over half (53%, or 1,003 cases) were among patients presumed to have been infected during their present hospital admission. These are technically referred to as a ‘trust apportioned cases’.

The remaining 47% of cases (895 cases) would be patients who were diagnosed within two days of admission to a hospital trust or infected outside of the reporting hospital trust - in either case they are unlikely to have acquired their infection during their present hospital admission.

These are patients who may have presented to a GP or directly to a hospital with the infection, were resident in a care-home when infected, or had transferred from another (unnamed) healthcare facility when the infection was first diagnosed.

For C. difficile, of the 25,604 cases reported in England the total number of cases presumed to have been acquired during their present hospital admission is 13,195, which is 52% of the total. The remaining 48% of cases (12,409) were likely to have been acquired outside of that particular admission or outside of the reporting hospital.

Dr Christine McCartney, Executive Lead for the HPA Healthcare Associated and Antimicrobial Resistance programme, said:

“This year we have again observed an impressive reduction in the total number of both MRSA and C. difficile infections and this is a credit to the hard work of our colleagues in the NHS which continues to strengthen good practice in infection control measures. 

“Importantly, almost half of MRSA and C. difficile infections are being bought into hospitals, whether that be from another hospital or from the community. This re-enforces the need to practice common sense infection control and good hygiene measures at all times and not just when visiting friends and family in hospital.

“Since this reporting began we have seen significant reductions in these infections year on year. But we must not be complacent. Health care workers and the general public must remain vigilant at all times.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. *In patients aged 2 years and over.

Table 1: Total counts and rates of MRSA bacteraemia by financial year (April 2008 to March 2010)

Financial year	Total MRSA bacteraemia reports	Rate per 100,000 population
April 2008-March 2009	2,935	5.7
April 2009-March 2010	1,898	3.7

Table 2: Trust apportioned counts and rates of MRSA bacteraemia by financial year (April 2008 to March 2010)

Financial Year	Trust apportioned MRSA bacteraemia reports	MRSA bacteraemia rate per 100,000 bed days
April 2008-March 2009	1,606	4.3
April 2009-March 2010	1,003	2.7

Table 3: Total counts and rates of C. difficile by financial year (April 2007 to March 2010)

Financial Year	Total CDI reports in patients aged 2 years and over	Rate per 100,000 population
April 2007-March 2008	55,498	111.4
April 2008-March 2009	36,095	72.0
April 2009-March 2010	25,604	51.1

Table 4: Trust apportioned counts and rates of C. difficile by financial year (April 2007 to March 2010)

Financial Year	Trust apportioned CDI reports	CDI rate per 10,000 bed days
April 2007-March 2008	33,442	9.3
April 2008-March 2009	19,927	5.5
April 2009-March 2010	13,195	3.6

All data tables (including trust apportioned cases) and associated commentaries will be available on the HPA’s website from 9.30am on Friday 16 July, 2010. Please visit:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/HCAI/

2. For further information on this press release please contact the HPA’s Centre for Infections press office on:

Georgina Fletcher                   020 8327 6690

Emma Gilgunn-Jones             020 8327 6647

Alexandra Baker                     020 8327 7098

Louise Brown                         020 8327 7080

Eleanor Bunch                        020 8327 7751

Kate Swan                              020 8327 7097

Last reviewed: 16 July 2010