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Strain of MRSA spreading among gay men

Infection Control Monitor, January 18, 2008

A new highly drug-resistant strain of MRSA bacteria is being spread among gay men in San Francisco and Boston, according to a new study.

The multidrug-resistant MRSA clone (USA300) seems to be spread most easily through anal intercourse, but also through casual skin-to-skin contact and touching contaminated surfaces, reported The New York Times. To read the study published online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, click here.

Researchers based their study on a review of medical records from nine hospitals in San Francisco and two outpatient clinics in San Francisco and Boston. The infection frequently manifests as an abscess or cellulitis in the buttocks, genitals, or perineum, and male-male sex is a risk factor, the study said. In Boston, the MRSA strain was recovered exclusively from men who have sex with men, the study said.

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