What is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It’s tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus — or staph — because it’s resistant to some commonly used antibiotics. The symptoms of MRSA depend on where you’re infected. Most often, it causes mild infections on the skin, causing pimples or boils. But it can also cause more serious skin infections or infect surgical wounds, the bloodstream, the lungs, or the urinary tract. document.
MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus, or more simply “staph,” are bacteria that often live in the nose or on the skin of healthy people. When these bacteria penetrate the skin or invade other parts of the body, a staph infection may result. Staph bacteria that are resistant to the action of methicillin and related antibiotics are referred to as “methicillin-resistant staph aureus” or MRSA. MRSA are not only resistant to all penicillin-like antibiotics, but they are often resistant to many other types of antibiotics as well. Infections with MRSA can be costly and difficult to treat because of limited antibiotic options. In the past, MRSA has been a problem mainly in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes (healthcare-associated MRSA). Recently however, there have been many reports of MRSA infections occurring among persons in the general community without any healthcare contact (community-associated MRSA).
