MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
MRSA is a type of "staph" skin infection that has become resistant to some antibiotics such as penicillin. Bacteria may develop resistance to antibiotics when they are used but are not needed or not taken as directed.
Until recently, people most often got MRSA infections when they had open wounds, burns, and/or tubes inserted in their bodies for medical treatment and were hospitalized or stayed in a nursing home. Now MRSA skin infections are becoming more common among adults and children who have not stayed in hospitals or nursing homes.
MRSA infections can be mild or very serious and are spread through skin to skin contact or less frequently by touching surfaces that have MRSA on them. Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple, boil, or spider bite, and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage.
The best way to protect against MRSA infections are:
- practicing good hygiene (e.g., keeping your hands clean by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and showering immediately after participating in exercise);
- covering skin trauma such as abrasions or cuts with a clean dry bandage until healed;
- seeking medical treatment if abrasion or cut does not seem to be properly healing;
- avoiding sharing personal items (e.g., towels, razors) that come into contact with your bare skin; and using a barrier (e.g., clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment such as weight-training benches;
- maintaining a clean environment by establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come into direct contact with people's skin.
A podcast is available on "What You Can Do To Protect Yourself And Your Family" at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website.
The links below explain what MRSA is, what it looks like, how you get it, how it is treated and how to stop the spread of a MRSA infection.
Related Resources
MRSA Handout [1728 kb] MRSA Infection Poster [5157 kb] General MRSA Poster [2007 kb] MRSA Male Athlete Poster [1061 kb] MRSA Female Athlete Poster [1736 kb] Multi-drug Resistant Organisms Fact Sheet [104 kb] Multidrug Resistant Organisms (MDROs) Brochure [432 kb]
Additional MRSA Resources