Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. Interpretation of community MRSA trends is problematical, in that the term is ill-defined, and related data are difficult to put into context. There are four relevant battlefronts, all of interest to risk assessment and prevention. These comprise the following: the issues relating to an increasing pool of patients with MRSA discharged from hospitals into the community; MRSA spreading to patients in nursing and residential homes; and MRSA spreading from patients and healthcare workers to others in the community. There are often difficulties in determining whether the fourth issue, MRSA arising apparently de novo in the community, is in fact due to one of these other fronts. All these battlefronts are important and not yet lost. However, we must agree on definitions and design-appropriate surveillance strategies, so that we can best inform prevention and control activities to contain these emerged or emerging problems.