Hospitalized incident cases of MRSA to reach 791,000 in 2033

The increase will take place over the seven major markets (7MM), the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan.

A recent report attributes this rise to poor infection control and a subsequent increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria across these markets, combined with underlying demographic changes.

Initially, MRSA infections were typically acquired in a healthcare environment, however in more recent years community-acquired MRSA infections have predominated.

According to GlobalData epidemiologists, there were 552,000 community-acquired hospitalized incident cases of MRSA in 2023 and 162,000 healthcare-acquired cases in the 7MM.

Anna Moody, epidemiologist at GlobalData, said: ​“Infection control in healthcare settings has vastly improved across the 7MM over the past decade; however, the appropriate adjustment of hygiene practices in community settings lacks consideration for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like MRSA.

“This explains why the number of community-acquired hospitalized incident cases of MRSA is higher than healthcare-acquired cases.”

Across the 7MM, community-acquired cases of MRSA are expected to increase to 612,000 by 2033, at an average growth rate of 1.09%, whilst the healthcare-acquired cases will increase to 179,000 by 2033, at an average growth rate of 1.05%.

Moody concludes: “As the incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria increases, there should be an improved focus on infection control, both in and out of healthcare settings, and practitioners should avoid inappropriate and over-use of antibiotics where possible.”