FRIDAY July 4, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Many children carry the drug resistant superbug called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA without knowing it, according to a study in Pediatrics.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics including methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri report that the rate of MRSA among children can be as high as 2.6 percent ranging from 0 to 9 percent depending upon locations.

The study involved 1,300 patients from 11 locations in the St. Louis area.   The prevalence of MRSA among children in two counties based on testing of nasal swabs was 2.4 percent, Dr. Stephanie A. Fritz and colleagues found.

Fritz and colleagues also found 28 percent of the MRSA strains were commonly seen in healthcare settings while 66 percent were often seen the community.

The community acquired MRSA was more commonly found among the blacks who were enrolled in Medicare than the healthcare-associated MRSA strains, according to the report.