Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Ghana: Past, Present, and Future.

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is of serious public health concern due to its extensive antibiotic resistance and association with frequent outbreaks. So far, MRSA has received very little attention in Ghana. In line with recent efforts by the Government of Ghana to improve surveillance of antibiotic resistance, this article reviews the existing literature on MRSA in Ghana with the aim of highlighting its public health significance, identifying relevant areas of research, and how to combat this pathogen. There is a low prevalence of MRSA in Ghana. However, the presence of several epidemic multidrug-resistant clones of MRSA detected in the country poses a potentially serious public health threat. In Ghana, MRSA appears to have evolved from a relatively less-recognized pathogen to an important one, which is partly because of outbreaks of the organism in the last few years. Generally, little is known about the epidemiology of MRSA in Ghana and effective surveillance of the pathogen is required to deal with its emerging public health threat in the country.