Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Infection Surveillance

Key points

• The Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Infection Surveillance Program collects data for describing incidence and trends of these infections.
• Public health professionals and healthcare providers can use these data to further public health research and improve health outcomes.

Aims

As part of CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP) Healthcare-Associated Infections - Community Interface Activity (HAIC), the Invasive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) Infection Surveillance Program identifies and monitors:

• Changes in incidence of hospital-onset (HO), healthcare-associated community-onset (HACO), and community-associated (CA) invasive, methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) infections.
• Populations with invasive S. aureus that would benefit from improved prevention and treatment activities.
• The impact of established prevention strategies.
• Molecular and microbiologic characteristics of strains causing invasive S. aureus infections.

Process

To collect this information, trained professionals conduct active population- and laboratory-based surveillance in 7 EIP sites. CDC and EIP staff clean, analyze, and disseminate the data through annual reports and peer-reviewed publications.

Purpose

Public health and healthcare professionals can use these data to further research and improve S. aureus prevention strategies.

In 2024

Invasive S. aureus infections were most commonly HACO. In 2024 compared to 2023, CA and HACO invasive methicillin-resistant S. aureus incidence increased, while HO methicillin-resistant S. aureus incidence decreased slightly; invasive methicillin-sensitive S. aureus incidence decreased in all categories (CA, HACO, and HO).

Access and create data visualizations

Antimicrobial Resistance & Patient Safety Portal is an interactive data visualization tool that provides information included in the reports below as well as case rates and deaths over time.Antimicrobial Resistance & Patient Safety Portal

Annual reports

• Invasive S. aureus, 2024
• Invasive S. aureus, 2023
• Invasive S. aureus, 2022
• Invasive S. aureus, 2021
• Invasive S. aureus, 2020
• Invasive S. aureus, 2019
• Invasive S. aureus, 2018
• Invasive S. aureus, 2017
• Invasive S. aureus, 2016
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2015
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2014
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2013
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2012
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2011
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2010
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2009
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2008
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2007
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2006
• Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 2005

Publications using Invasive S. aureus Infection Surveillance Program data

• Biggs HM, Li R, Jackson KA, et al. Trends in Incidence and Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia, Six Emerging Infections Program Surveillance Sites, 2005–2022. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 May 12;12(6):ofaf282. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf282. eCollection 2025 Jun.
• See I, Jackson KA, et al. Characteristics of nursing homes with high rates of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2025 Mar;73(3):849-858. doi: 10.1111/jgs.19189. Epub 2025 Jan 20
• Rha B, See I, Dunham L, et al. Vital Signs: Health Disparities in Hemodialysis-Associated Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections — United States, 2017–2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:153–159. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7206e1.
• Jackson KA, Gokhale RH, Nadle J, et al. Public Health Importance of Invasive Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Infections: Surveillance in 8 US Counties, 2016.Clin Infect Dis. 2020;70(6):1021-1028. doi:10.1093/cid/ciz323
• See I, Mu Y, Albrecht V, et al. Trends in Incidence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections Differ by Strain Type and Healthcare Exposure, United States, 2005-2013.Clin Infect Dis. 2020;70(1):19-25. doi:10.1093/cid/ciz158

See AlsoNCBI Collection

EIP site surveillance areas

For Connecticut and Georgia, the MSSA surveillance area is a subset of the total MRSA surveillance area. In Connecticut, the MSSA surveillance area includes the South Central Connecticut and Naugatuck Valley Planning Regions. In Georgia, the MSSA surveillance area is Fulton County.

Case definition

When S. aureus is isolated from a normally sterile body site in a patient who lives in the surveillance area. Sterile body sites can include:

• Blood
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• Pleural fluid
• Peritoneal fluid
• Pericardial fluid
• Bone
• Joint/synovial fluid
• Internal body site (e.g., lymph node, brain)

Case ascertainment

The invasive S. aureus infection surveillance program is an active population- and laboratory-based surveillance system. Surveillance staff regularly query clinical laboratories to identify microbiological test results among persons living in a defined geographic area.

Case report forms for EIP surveillance staff

• 2025 Invasive MSSA/MRSA S. aureus

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