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Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen in paediatric patients with bloodstream infections. The epidemiology of S. aureus bacteraemia (SAB), however, has not been well documented in children in South Africa. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a children's hospital in...

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Main Author: Naidoo , Reené
Other Authors: Eley, Brian
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author Naidoo , Reené
author2 Eley, Brian
author_browse Eley, Brian
Naidoo , Reené
author_facet Eley, Brian
Naidoo , Reené
author_sort Naidoo , Reené
collection Thesis
description Background: Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen in paediatric patients with bloodstream infections. The epidemiology of S. aureus bacteraemia (SAB), however, has not been well documented in children in South Africa. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, to investigate the epidemiology of SAB from 2007-2011. The incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, management and outcomes of methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia were compared. Results: Over the five year study period, 365 episodes of SAB were identified. The annual incidence of SAB was 3.28 cases per 1000 hospital admissions. MRSA was responsible for 26% of SAB and 72% of nosocomial infections. Only six possible cases of community-acquired MRSA infections were described. MSSA bacteraemia was more likely to present as pulmonary and bone or joint infections, while bacteraemia without a source was the most common presentation with MRSA. Infants, children with malnutrition, and residents of long-term care facilities were at highest risk for MRSA bacteraemia. The overall case fatality rate for SAB was 8.8% over five years, with MRSA being the only significant risk factor for mortality. Conclusion: The incidence of SAB and MRSA bacteraemia in children has remained stable over the past five years. MRSA is a predominantly nosocomial pathogen in children with SAB in Cape Town, South Africa
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language English
eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:53:26.665Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
publisherStr Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41613 Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa Naidoo , Reené Eley, Brian Nuttall , James Staphylococcus aureus Background: Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen in paediatric patients with bloodstream infections. The epidemiology of S. aureus bacteraemia (SAB), however, has not been well documented in children in South Africa. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, to investigate the epidemiology of SAB from 2007-2011. The incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, management and outcomes of methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia were compared. Results: Over the five year study period, 365 episodes of SAB were identified. The annual incidence of SAB was 3.28 cases per 1000 hospital admissions. MRSA was responsible for 26% of SAB and 72% of nosocomial infections. Only six possible cases of community-acquired MRSA infections were described. MSSA bacteraemia was more likely to present as pulmonary and bone or joint infections, while bacteraemia without a source was the most common presentation with MRSA. Infants, children with malnutrition, and residents of long-term care facilities were at highest risk for MRSA bacteraemia. The overall case fatality rate for SAB was 8.8% over five years, with MRSA being the only significant risk factor for mortality. Conclusion: The incidence of SAB and MRSA bacteraemia in children has remained stable over the past five years. MRSA is a predominantly nosocomial pathogen in children with SAB in Cape Town, South Africa 2025-08-25T09:59:19Z 2025-08-25T09:59:19Z 2012 2025-08-25T09:56:22Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41613 en eng application/pdf Department of Paediatrics and Child Health Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Staphylococcus aureus
Naidoo , Reené
Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
title_full Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
title_fullStr Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
title_short Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
title_sort epidemiology of staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia at a tertiary children s hospital in cape town south africa
topic Staphylococcus aureus
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41613
work_keys_str_mv AT naidooreene epidemiologyofstaphylococcusaureusbacteraemiaatatertiarychildrenshospitalincapetownsouthafrica