Case Study How Do Bacteria Become Resistant Part 1 What is MRSA No matter what doctors did the baby s oxygen levels were dropping as a drug resistant bacteria were eating holes in the lungs of the 7 week old Even the most powerful antibiotics could not stop the infection Just two days ago Madeline had started coughing a symptom the doctor dismissed as a viral infection Then Madeline s mother found her limp and blue in her crib and she was rushed to the hospital She was diagnosed with sepsis and a virulent pneumonia that was destroying her lungs It was MRSA The methicillin resistant form of the bacterium commonly known as staph was first identified in the 1970 s in hospitals but it has since spread across the world showing up in day cares schools and other public spaces Today 1 2 million MRSA infections occur in hospitals in the U S and invasive MRSA kills over 19 000 per year The bacterium can sometimes colonize a person and not cause illness The person can carry it on their bodies for years and pass them to other people or leave them on surfaces Hospitals have mounted aggressive campaigns to eliminate MRSA from their facilities Madeline s parents wondered how she had contracted this dangerous bacterium Madeline s family agreed to tests to determine if any of them were carrying the deadly bacteria or if the child contracted the bacteria from the hospital The hospital protested claiming that their facility is not the source of MRSA In the past penicillin was used to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections Shortly after S aureus became resistant to penicillin During the 1950s derivatives of penicillin was discovered by pharmaceutical companies that could treat Staphylococcus aureus The graph below depicts the Spread of Antibiotic Resistant S aureus Infections in the United States Separate curves are shown for bacteria that caused infections in the hospital Hospital Acquired and in healthy people in the community Community Acquired Percent S aureus Resistant 100 80 60 40 20 0 Hospital Acquired Community Acquired Hospital Acquired Penicillin Resistant Methicillin Resistant Community Acquired 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 Year 1 Based on the graph make an inference about where the community acquired penicillin resistant S aureus originated from