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MRSAWhat is MRSA and why is it so serious?
Some germs that commonly live on the skin and in the nose are called
staphylococcus or “staph” bacteria. Usually, staph bacteria don’t cause any harm.
However, sometimes they get inside the body through a break in the skin and cause
an infection. These infections are usually treated with antibiotics. When common
antibiotics don’t kill the staph bacteria, it means the bacteria have become resistant
to those antibiotics. This type of staph is called MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus).
Anyone can get MRSA. Infections range from mild to very serious, even lifethreatening. MRSA is contagious and can be spread to other people through skin-toskin contact. If one person in a family is infected with MRSA, the rest of the family may get it.
MRSA was first identified in the 1960’s and was mainly found in hospitals and
nursing homes. This occurred because antibiotics were being given to people when they weren’t needed, and patients were not taking antibiotics as directed. In the late 1990’s, a new type of MRSA was identified. This type of MRSA is becoming more common among children and adults who do not have medical problems.
Click here for booklet "Living with MRSA"
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