Communicable Diseases: MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is
a type of staph infection that is resistant to certain antibiotics,
according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). These
antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as
penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most
frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities who have
weakened immune systems.
MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been
recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure
(such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are known as community-associated
MRSA infections or CA-MRSA. These are usually manifested as skin infections,
such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.
Careful attention to personal hygiene is key to
avoiding MRSA infections. The National Institutes of Health recommends that
you wash your hands frequently and avoiding sharing personal items such as
towels or razors with another person -- MRSA can be transmitted through
contaminated items. Cover all wounds with a clean bandage, and avoid contact
with other people’s soiled bandages. If you share sporting equipment, clean
it first with antiseptic solution. |
