Scientists based in Cambridge were able to track patient-wise MRSA transmission by using DNA mapping technology. They investigated the genome of the bacteria by this method.

The new technique is believed to be helpful to scientists to monitor the spread of the bacteria within hospitals. They will also be able to judge whether the bacteria is coming from outside.

The research team also suggested that MRSA emerged in Europe because antibiotics were being released for the first time since the 1960s.

The research results were published in the journal ‘Science’ by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton.

Dr. Sharon Peacock, co-author from the Cambridge University, said: “Our research should inform global surveillance strategies to track the spread of MRSA. The implications for public health are clear: this technology represents the potential to trace transmission pathways of MRSA more definitively so that interventions or treatments can be targeted with precision and according to need.”

The finding has added to the understanding of how MRSA can spread rapidly and should lead to better treatments.