Objective To investigate the incidence rate, molecular epidemiology and risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. Methods A total of 119 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from January 2016 to December 2020 in general surgery of this hospital were collected retrospectively and divided into MRSA group and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus group according to whether or not resistant to oxacillin. The clinical data of all patients infected with Staphylococcus aureus and drug sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus were collected. Molecular typing was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), resistance gene, virulence gene and biofilm gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, and a case-control study was used to identify risk factors for MRSA infection. ResultsThe detection rate of MRSA was 57.98% (69/119), mainly was from pus specimens (80.67%, 96/119). The results of MLST showed that the dominant clone types were ST88 (37.68%, 26/69), ST951 (27.54%, 19/69) and ST59 (18.84%, 13/69). The results of PCR showed that the detection rates of mecA, mecC, Aac (6′ )/Aph (2′ ′ ), Aph (3)-Ⅲ, ant (4′ )- Ⅰ a, tetM, qnrA, panton-valentine leukocidin, fibronectin-binding protein A, staphylococcal enterotoxin A, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, α-hemolysins, intracellular adhesion A, staphylococcal accessory regulators A, and fibronectin-binding protein B in 69 strains of MRSA were 100%, 0.00%, 27.54%, 34.78%, 18.84%, 14.49%, 1.45%, 8.70%, 98.55%, 11.59%, 91.30%, 94.20%, 92.75%, 97.10% and 86.96%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that hospital transfer, wound infection, catheter related infection, drainage tube and history of cephalosporin using were risk factors for MRSA infection. ConclusionsThe detection rate of MRSA in general surgery of this hospital is high. ST88 is the most common clone type. The carrying rates of resistant-, virulence- and biofilm-related genes are high. Hospital transfer, wound infection, drainage tube, history of cephalosporin using etc. are high risk factors for MRSA infection. It is advised that invasive operation should be reduced, antibiotics should be used rationally, hand hygiene should be paid attention to, environmental sanitation disinfection should be carried out regularly, and the monitoring of MRSA bacteria should be strengthened, so as to reduce and control the infection and spread of MRSA.