disease information
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Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. About 25% to 30% of the population carries staph in their nose or on their skin and do not know they are carrying them. They do not have any signs or symptoms of illness. This is called “colonization.” Sometimes staph bacteria can cause infection, especially pimples, boils and other skin problems. Occasionally, staph can cause very serious illness if they get into the bloodstream, the lungs or a wound after surgery.
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that is resistant to treatment with antibiotics called beta-lactams. Beta-lactam antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. While 25% to 30% of the population is colonized with staph, approximately 1% is colonized with MRSA.
MRSA is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact with another person. It is also spread through contact with items that have been touched by people with staph. For example, shaking hands, wrestling, sharing towels, or sharing athletic equipment can spread MRSA. Fluid from MRSA infections is especially infectious.
MRSA can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. It can also cause more serious infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.
MRSA skin infections may heal by themselves if kept clean and dry. Sometimes MRSA skin infections are treated by draining the abscess or boil and may not require treatment with antibiotics. Sometimes they require treatment with antibiotics. It is possible to have a MRSA skin infection recur after it is cured.
Because MRSA can’t be identified without lab tests, it is not always identified and treated correctly when antibiotic treatment is needed. Doctors may assume that a MRSA infection is a common staph infection and treat with antibiotics that do not kill MRSA. This potential delay in recognizing and treating MRSA infections effectively can result in prolonged illness and rare life-threatening illnesses in the blood, heart and bones. Some MRSA may produce substances that cause more severe infections.
The best way to prevent the spread of MRSA and many other infectious diseases is to follow universal precautions. These recommendations include the following:
· Clean hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel (if hands are not visibly soiled). Always clean hands immediately after touching infected skin or any item that has come in direct contact with a draining wound.
· Keep all wounds that are draining covered with clean, dry bandages.
· Avoid sharing items that may become contaminated with wound drainage such as towels, clothing, bedding, bar soap, and athletic equipment that touches the skin.
· Restrict activities that involve skin-to-skin contact with any individual that is unable to keep a wound covered with a clean, dry bandage at all times.
· Clean equipment and other environmental surfaces with a disinfectant that specifies Staphylococcus aureus on the product label and is suitable for the type of surface being cleaned. This may include desks, door handles, certain toys and athletic equipment.
Living With MRSA
MRSA Guidelines for Sports Teams
Strategies for Clinical Management of MRSA in the Community
MRSA Clinical Algorithm
Healthy Camp Update: MRSA
MRSA Fact Sheet
MRSA in Outpatient Clinics
MRSA Infection Control Manual