Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasing in Saudi Arabia. MRSA average rate in the country is considered as high as 38%. This review aims to elucidate the present status of MRSA in Saudi Arabia that may serve as a basis for policy development in controlling the pathogen from spreading among healthcare providers as well as the Saudi community. The literature was systematically reviewed in this study using the PRISMA methodology. Eighteen studies with direct relevance were identified and synthesized for the findings. The incidence of MRSA in Saudi Arabia was fond to be varying considerably from one region to another. The rate of MRSA prevalence of all S. aureus strains in the Western, Central, and Eastern regions was 42%, 32%, 27%, respectively. High incidence in the Western region may be attributed to the presence of the holy Islamic sites which are visited by millions of people annually from all over the world. The nasal carriage of MRSA in Saudi Arabia is projected to be around 25% among all isolated S. aureus strains. MRSA colonization ranged from 18%-76% among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia. The clonal diversity of isolated MRSA strains was indeed varied. However, it seems that specific genotypes of MRSA are more frequently encountered. Type ST239-III is common with hospital-acquired MRSA whereas types CC80-IV (ST80) and to a lesser extent CC22-IV are prevalent among community-acquired MRSA isolates in Saudi Arabia.