Table. Yearly number of new cases caused by different methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, Southwest Finland Medical District, 1991–2000.

Year	Strains
	Surgical outbreaka	Medical outbreakb	Mynamaki outbreakc	MRSA outbreak IVd	MRSA outbreak Ve	Other outbreaks	Familial MRSAf	Solitary MRSA	Total
1991	11							2	13
1992	19	56				2g		1	78
1993	1	1	13	4		2h	2	4	27
1994							3	2	5
1995	4							3	7
1996	2							7	9
1997							2	6	8
1998						2g		17	19
1999						2g	2	10	14
2000					5	2g	4	11	22
Total	37	57	13	4	5	10	13	63	202

^aStrain was recovered from 24 patients at the university hospital,10 patients at a regional hospital, and 3 staff members in these hospitals.

^bStrain was recovered from 30 patients and 18 staff members at the university hospital and from 9 patients in other district institutions.

^cStrain was recovered from 12 patients and 1 staff member in a health-center ward and associated nursing home (7).

^dStrain caused a cluster of four cases in an intensive-care unit of a central hospital.

^eStrain caused a cluster of four infected patients and one infected staff member in a health-center ward at the beginning of 2000, but was subsequently eliminated.

^fIntrafamilial clusters of two to four MRSA cases in the community.

^gMRSA strain was transmitted from one patient to another at the university hospital.

^hMRSA strain was transmitted from one patient to another at a regional hospital.