What is MRSA? MRSA stands for m esistant staphylococcus a ureus.
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). How
common is MRSA? The proportion of