How Staph (including MRSA) spreads and resists antibiotics in hospitals and communities
Staphylococcus aureus SPREAD (S. aureus Study of Prevalence Resistance and Environmental Dissemination)
This project uses whole-genome sequencing of Staphylococcus aureus from patients, healthcare workers, and room surfaces in two hospital units to see how strains spread and cause infections in people admitted to the hospital.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11111438 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I'm admitted to one of the two study units, researchers will swab four body sites on admission to check for Staph colonization and will follow some patients' room surfaces and nearby healthcare workers for the bacteria over 24 months. They will sequence the bacterial DNA to match strains between people and surfaces and compare findings to control patients who are not colonized on admission. The team will look for how often bacteria move from person to person, whether some strains spread more easily, and whether fomites or staff bodies act as intermediate carriers. Results will link carriage at admission with later infections to guide prevention.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people admitted to one of the two participating units at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania who agree to admission swabs and, for some, room surface or staff-contact sampling.
Not a fit: People not admitted to the participating units, those who decline swabbing, or patients whose infections come from unrelated sources may not receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help hospitals reduce Staph and MRSA infections by identifying common transmission routes and improving screening, cleaning, and staff practices.
How similar studies have performed: Prior outbreak investigations using whole-genome sequencing have successfully traced Staph transmission in hospitals, but combining routine admission swabs, systematic room surface sampling, and staff sampling over two years is less common.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: David, Michael Zdenek — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: David, Michael Zdenek
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.