TABLE 5.
Reported prevalence rates of MRSA nasal colonization for healthy Taiwanese children between 2001 and 2006
| Period | Area of Taiwan | Subjects | Age of subjects | No. of subjects | No. (%) with MRSAb | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Southern | Schoolchildren | 2 yr to ∼18 yr | 987 | 33 (3.3) | Lu et al. (23) |
| 2001-2002 | Northern | Schoolchildren | 3 yr to ∼12 yr | 262 | 5 (1.9) | Huang et al. (17) |
| 2003 | Northern | Schoolchildren, health care visits | <12 yr | 640 | 48 (7.5)a | Boyle-Vavra et al. (1) |
| 2005-2006 | Northern | Children for health care visits | 2 mo to ∼5 yr | 1,279 | 121 (9.5) | This study |
| Central | Children for health care visits | 2 mo to ∼5 yr | 1,011 | 49 (4.8) | This study | |
| Southern | Children for health care visits | 2 mo to ∼5 yr | 756 | 51 (6.7) | This study |
a
If restricted to those without risk factors, no. of colonized subjects would be 34 (5.3%).
b
The prevalence increased significantly in the northern (P < 0.0001 by chi-square test) and southern (P < 0.001) regions of Taiwan during the period of 2001 to 2006.