How to Understand MRSA Bacteria

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria commonly found on your skin and in your nose. According to the Mayo Clinic, staph is usually harmless until the bacteria enters your body via a cut or wound. MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staph bacteria resistant to penicillin and penicillin-related antibiotics. Most cases of MRSA infections manifest in health care settings, though cases are occurring in healthy individuals in what is known as CA-MRSA, or community-acquired MRSA. To understand MRSA, knowing the signs, symptoms and how the disease is caught can help in its prevention.

Things You'll Need

• Sterile bandages

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Instructions

• 1

  Recognize the symptoms of MRSA. MRSA begins as red pimple-like bumps. As the infection advances, the bumps can look like spider bites that form into painful abscesses.

• 2

  MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is resistant to penicillin.

  Cover any abscesses and affected skin with sterile bandages if signs of MRSA appear. Immediately contact your physician.

• 3

  Give a culture sample taken from the infection site. As indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, identifying the type of staph you have is important prior to the administering of antibiotics.

• 4

  Don't stop antibiotic treatments.

  Take the antibiotics as prescribed by your physician. Finish your entire course of antibiotics, regardless if you begin to feel better. Re-infections from MRSA can happen.

• 5

  Talk to your physician if others become ill.

  Alert your physician if family members in your household become infected. Your family members will need antibiotics in order to control the spread of MRSA.

• 6

  Clean surfaces touched by your skin.

  Establish a clean environment in your home. Surfaces that are continually touched by your skin should be cleaned thoroughly with disinfectants.