New Delhi Aug 7 (IANS): Family members of patients recently discharged from hospitals face a higher risk of contracting Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), even if the patient was not diagnosed with the infection.

This was shown by a study published on Tuesday in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. It suggests hospitals play a significant role in spreading resistant bacteria into the community.

Researchers from the University of Iowa found that when patients were diagnosed with MRSA, the risk to their household members was even higher. The study, led by Aaron Miller, PhD, indicated that the longer a patient's hospital stay, the greater the risk to family members.

“Patients can become colonised with MRSA during their hospital stay and transmit MRSA to their household members,” said Miller. “This suggests hospitals contribute to the spread of MRSA into the community through discharged patients who are asymptomatic carriers.”

Miller recommends hospitals enhance infection control practices, including testing for MRSA colonisation at discharge. Tracking MRSA colonisation and infections among patients and their contacts could mitigate transmission effectively.

MRSA, known as a superbug, does not respond to common antibiotics and can be deadly if it spreads to the blood or lungs. The study reviewed 424,512 MRSA cases among 343,524 insured people, finding significant transmission risks within households.

People exposed to a recently hospitalised family member with MRSA were 71 times more likely to get an infection. Even without a MRSA diagnosis, hospitalisation increased the chances of household transmission by 44 per cent.

The study emphasises the need for better infection control to prevent the community spread of MRSA.