I was told I am “colonized” with MRSA on my skin. What are the risks of my spouse becoming infected by having close physical contact with me?
Being colonized with MRSA means that you carry it on your skin or in your nose but you have no signs or symptoms of infection. There is a small risk of transmitting MRSA to close contacts such as your spouse when you are colonized, but the risk is much less than when there is an active infection, with pus or drainage present on the skin. Simple measures such as good hand washing, bathing or showering regularly, and covering skin wounds will help reduce the risk of transmission to close contacts.
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