What is MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)?
Some staph bacteria have mutated and cannot be killed with commonly used antibiotics. MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to antibiotics including methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as penicillin and amoxicillin. Millions of people are colonized with MRSA in the U.S. alone and infections are appearing at epidemic rates. MRSA infections are commonly mistaken as spider bites.
Some staph bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to 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.
Penicillin is a drug that was once commonly used to treat staph infections. However, over time many staph infections have become difficult to treat with penicillin and antibiotics related to penicillin including methicillin, oxacillin, and amoxicillin. These new or resistant forms of Staphylococcus aureus are referred to as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. The illnesses they cause are the same as those caused by other staph; the difference is in how they are treated.
Related Questions
- If I have had a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or been told that I carry MRSA, am I at high risk for developing a serious MRSA infection if I get seasonal influenza?
- Has the publication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) treatment guidelines increased the survival associated with MRSA bacteraemia?
- What role, if any, does Keflex have in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), particularly community-acquired MRSA?
