tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2026 Aug 21
https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/13/10/ofag524/8767577
eCollection 2026 Oct.
Carly Adams 1 , Holly M Biggs 1 , Kelly A Jackson 1 , Joelle Nadle 2 , Susan Petit 3 , Susan M Ray 4 , Ruth Lynfield 5 , Carmen Bernu 5 , Ghinwa Dumyati 6 , Marissa Walsh 6 , William Schaffner 7 , H Keipp Talbot 8 , Lee H Harrison 9 , Isaac See 1
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Background: Trends in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) mortality in the United States, including the impact of coronavirus disease 2019, have not been well described.
Methods: Active, laboratory- and population-based surveillance data from 20 counties (7 states) were used to examine annual, 30-day mortality rates among US adult patients with methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA, respectively) bacteremia during 2005-2022. Medical records and state vital statistics data were linked to ascertain death. Multivariable survival analysis estimated the association between recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (a positive SARS-CoV-2 test of ≤30 days before incident culture) and mortality among SAB cases, adjusting for other risk factors. Analyses were stratified by MRSA/MSSA and epidemiologic class (hospital-onset [HO], healthcare-associated community-onset [HACO], and community-associated [CA]).
Results: Overall, SAB mortality was 21%. Annual SAB mortality rates were generally stable prepandemic before increasing by 33% and 41% among HO MRSA and MSSA cases, respectively, and by 49% among CA MRSA cases, but not among HACO or MSSA CA cases, from 2019 through 2021. Among HO cases with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, annual mortality rates were as high as 75%. Adjusted hazard ratios for recent SARS-CoV-2 infection ranged from 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.5-2.3) (HACO MRSA) to 3.0 (95% confidence interval: 2.4-3.7) (HO MSSA).
Conclusions: Recent SARS-CoV-2 infection was a significant risk factor for death among patients with SAB during 2020-2022. Strengthening infection prevention efforts in similar respiratory pandemics in the future could help prevent increases in SAB mortality rates.
Keywords: COVID-19; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia; mortality; trends.
. 2026 Aug 21
https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/13/10/ofag524/8767577
eCollection 2026 Oct.
Trends in Mortality and the Effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Mortality Among Adult Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia, 20 US Counties, 2005–2022
Carly Adams 1 , Holly M Biggs 1 , Kelly A Jackson 1 , Joelle Nadle 2 , Susan Petit 3 , Susan M Ray 4 , Ruth Lynfield 5 , Carmen Bernu 5 , Ghinwa Dumyati 6 , Marissa Walsh 6 , William Schaffner 7 , H Keipp Talbot 8 , Lee H Harrison 9 , Isaac See 1
Affiliations Expand
- PMID: 42812850
- PMCID: PMC13622340
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofag524
Abstract
Background: Trends in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) mortality in the United States, including the impact of coronavirus disease 2019, have not been well described.
Methods: Active, laboratory- and population-based surveillance data from 20 counties (7 states) were used to examine annual, 30-day mortality rates among US adult patients with methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA, respectively) bacteremia during 2005-2022. Medical records and state vital statistics data were linked to ascertain death. Multivariable survival analysis estimated the association between recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (a positive SARS-CoV-2 test of ≤30 days before incident culture) and mortality among SAB cases, adjusting for other risk factors. Analyses were stratified by MRSA/MSSA and epidemiologic class (hospital-onset [HO], healthcare-associated community-onset [HACO], and community-associated [CA]).
Results: Overall, SAB mortality was 21%. Annual SAB mortality rates were generally stable prepandemic before increasing by 33% and 41% among HO MRSA and MSSA cases, respectively, and by 49% among CA MRSA cases, but not among HACO or MSSA CA cases, from 2019 through 2021. Among HO cases with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, annual mortality rates were as high as 75%. Adjusted hazard ratios for recent SARS-CoV-2 infection ranged from 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.5-2.3) (HACO MRSA) to 3.0 (95% confidence interval: 2.4-3.7) (HO MSSA).
Conclusions: Recent SARS-CoV-2 infection was a significant risk factor for death among patients with SAB during 2020-2022. Strengthening infection prevention efforts in similar respiratory pandemics in the future could help prevent increases in SAB mortality rates.
Keywords: COVID-19; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia; mortality; trends.
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