Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a health issue in corrections. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) partnered with an urban jail to investigate risk factors for MRSA carriage. This study assessed nasal carriage rate and strainrelatedness of MRSA among recently booked inmates. Of 403 inmates, 115 (28.5%) carried S. aureus; 18 were MRSA-positive (4.5%). Pulsed field gel electrophoresis identified 10 MRSA strains. Previous health care exposures and history of skin infection were more strongly associated with carriage risk than previous correctional facility exposure, although none of these exposures was statistically significant after adjustment. Our data suggest that MRSA is endemic in persons coming into correctional facilities. Correctional health care workers should be prepared to treat MRSA infections that arise from exposures before incarceration.
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