| The National Audit Office estimates that hospital-acquired infections, including MRSA, are costing the NHS about �1bn a year.It also believes they contribute to some 5,000 deaths annually. Of those caused by the Staphylococcus aureus family, most are known to be due to the MRSA strain. Between 2002 and 2003, mentions of MRSA on death certificates increased by 19% to 955.
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