How Often Do Asymptomatic Healthcare Workers Cause Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusOutbreaks? A Systematic Evaluation

Abstract

A systematic search was performed to identify outbreaks of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusinfection and colonization caused by healthcare workers (HCWs). Of 191 outbreaks identified, 11 had strong epidemiological evidence that HCWs were the source. In 3 of these outbreaks, asymptomatic carriers were the cause. The frequent practice of screening asymptomatic HCWs should be reconsidered.