7.6.2: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is a type of bacterial infection commonly referred to as “staph”. Although most staph bacteria are harmless, some can cause severe staph infections. Not all staph infections are resistant to treatment, but one particular strain of this bacteria (MRSA) has developed a resistance to the antibiotics commonly used to treat it. Healthcare settings are common sources of staph infections due to the depressed immunity of patients and the invasive procedures being done, which allows many opportunities for staph bacteria to be transmitted to susceptible people via surfaces or medical equipment. Community spread of staph infections, particularly MRSA, can happen in athletic facilities, in the military or childcare centers or schools as well - particularly in places where people do physical activity. Staph bacteria can only get through if there is a break in the skin, so keeping cuts and abrasions covered as well as cleaning surfaces and equipment are the best prevention strategies. MRSA most commonly causes infections in wounds or surgical sites, and in rare cases it can get into the bloodstream or lungs (causing pneumonia). In some cases this infection can cause sepsis - which is the body’s own amplified immune response to the infection, and can be deadly (CDC, 2019).