What is MRSA?

Answer:
MRSA has been in the news lately. There

have been stories about individuals contracting MRSA in hospitals, becoming very sick, or in some cases dying. You may be wondering just what exactly MRSA is.

MRSA, or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus, is a type of staph infection. It is an organism that is resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Methicillin was an antibiotic That doctors used years ago to treat patients that had contracted Staphylococcus aureus infections. Methicillin is now used as a means of identifying this particular type of antibiotic resistance.

MRSA is passed it the same way that ordinary Staphylococcus is passed, through physical contact with this organism. It can be spread by fluid from the mouth or nose, if that is where the organism is. If it is on the skin, then contact with the skin can pass it. If there is open skin, or a sore, it can get into the blood stream. It can show up as boils and impetigo. More serious infections of the lungs, bones, and blood can also occur.


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