Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

MRSA is an infection caused by a group of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. There are many different types or strains of Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are usually found on the skin and are often responsible for pimples and boils and are characteristically red, swollen, painful, and full of pus. As with many bacterial infections, someone with MRSA may also have a fever.

MRSA is a particular type of Staphylococcus aureus that does not respond (is resistant) to many antibiotics. These antibiotics include Methicillin, which is a type of penicillin. Therefore, the letters M R S A stand for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. With increasing use of antibiotics, new strains of MRSA have developed over the past 20 years. These new drug-resistant strains develop because some bacterial colonies are not destroyed by a course of antibiotics due to having particular characteristics or adaptations that protect them from the antibiotic. These bacteria then grow and divide in the body to produce a strain that is resistant to the antibiotic treatment. If antibiotics are used too often and inappropriately, it becomes more likely that bacteria will adapt to them and become resistant.

MRSA can be contracted through direct contact with an infected person or through sharing of personal items such as towels or razors that have touched infected skin. MRSA can be easily spread in hospitals, schools, and on athletic teams.

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