The purpose of this investigation is to study the clinical characteristics of infections by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the condition of antibiotics resistance of the clinical isolates in order to guide for the rational use of antibiotics. With the clinical isolates from cases of hospital-acquired MRSA at the same period as controls, the clinical characteristics of infections by community-acquired MRSA in Hangzhou area and the pattern of non-β-lactamase antibiotics resistance were determined in this study. It was found that the average age of patients with community-acquired MRSA infections was 30.89±13.3, in comparison with those of the hospital-acquired patients of 56.0±11.8, appearing to be younger than those of the latter, and the former showing no any basic illness. Both of the former and the latter were sensitive to vancomycin (100% vs 100%), and they had the same degrees of sensitivity to rifampicin, fosfomycin, and STM/TMP (86.8% vs 88.1%, P >0.05; 81.6% vs 82.9%, P >0.05; and 52.6% vs 61.9%, P >0.05, respectively). The former was more sensitive to netimycin, clindamycin, erythromycin and minocycline than those of the latter (73.7% vs 50.5%, P <0.01; 60.5% vs 45.7%, P <0.05; 28.9% vs 11.4%, P <0.01; and 81.6% vs 58.6%, P <0.01 respectively). Meanwhile, the incidence of multi-resistant strain of isolates in the former was significantly lower than that of the latter (31.6% vs 81.0%, P <0.01). In conclusion, it appears that the strains of clinical isolates isolated from patients with the community-acquired MRSA infections show different clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility in comparison with those of the hospital-acquired cases of infection, and this necessitates an alteration in the chemotherapy of infections suspected to be caused by community-acquired MRSA. The purpose of this investigation is to study the clinical characteristics of infections by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the condition of antibiotics resistance of the clinical isolates in order to guide for the rational use of antibiotics. With the clinical isolates from cases of hospital-acquired MRSA at the same period as controls, the clinical characteristics of infections by community-acquired MRSA in Hangzhou area and the pattern of non-beta-lactamase antibiotic resistance were determined in this study. It was found that the average age of patients with community-acquired MRSA infections was 30.89 ± 13.3, in comparison with those of the hospital-acquired patients of 56.0 ± 11.8, appearing to be younger than those of the latter, and the former showing no any basic illness. Both of the former and the latter were sensitive to vancomycin (100% vs 100%), and they had the same degree of sensitivity to rifampicin, fosfomycin, and STM / TMP (86. 8% vs 88.1%, P> 0.05; 81.6% vs 82.9%, P> 0.05; and 52.6% vs 61.9%, P> 0.05, respectively). The former was more sensitive to netimycin, clindamycin, erythromycin and minocycline than those of the latter (73.7% vs 50.5%, P <0.01; 60.5% vs 45.7%, P <0.05; 28.9% vs 11.4%, P <0.01; and 81.6% vs 58.6%, P <0.01 respectively). of the multi-resistant strain of isolates in the former was significantly lower than that of the latter (31.6% vs 81.0%, P <0.01). In conclusion, it appears that the strains of clinical isolates isolated from patients with the community-acquired MRSA infections show different clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility in comparison with those of the hospital-acquired cases of infection, and this necessitates an alteration in the chemotherapy of infection suspected to be caused by community-acquired MRSA.