MRSA Colonization and Infection in HIV-Infected Patients

Carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on the skin or mucosa is a predisposing factor for MRSA infection. To assess the effect of HIV infection on the rates of MRSA colonization and skin and soft-tissue infection (SSTI), investigators studied 107 asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals and 52 matched, uninfected controls in New York City. All participants were men who have sex with men (MSM). MRSA colonization was assessed using nares and axillary swab cultures, obtained three times, 1 month apart.

The HIV-infected men were clinically well. Sixty-nine percent were on antiretroviral therapy, and 61% had an undetectable viral load; the mean CD4 count was 599 cells/mm³. Eighteen (17%) of the HIV-infected patients had at le…