What Are the Signs & Symptoms of MRSA in Toddlers?

MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) infections often occur in health care facilities, but can affect healthy populations in the community as well. This serious infection has built a resistance to many of the antibiotics commonly used to treat it. As a result, it can cause death. It first appears on the skin, from which it can spread. Symptoms will not differ among age groups, so a toddler will show the same symptoms as an elderly person. Any parent who suspects his child has a MRSA infection should seek immediate medical care.

Skin Symptoms

• MRSA skin infections initially manifest as a small red bump that might resemble a bug bite, boil or pimple, according to the Mayo Clinic. If left untreated, they can progress to deep abscesses that resemble red, swollen and pus-filled lesions. These lesions usually cause pain if touched.

Lung Symptoms

• MRSA infections can often lead to lung problems including pneumonia. Symptoms of this type of MRSA infection include shortness of breath, fever, chills and cough, according to WebMD.

Other Symptoms

• Other possible symptoms include severe headache, rash, joint pain and low blood pressure. A person should keep in mind that since the infection can affect any part of the body, it can cause a variety of symptoms that cannot be fully outlined. For example, if the bacteria colonize in the urinary tract, it could cause a urinary tract infection. Since this infection originates as some sort of skin lesion, any person with a lesion should seek medical attention if other medical issues crop up later in order to confirm or rule out MRSA.