WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPH AUREUS INFECTION

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPH AUREUS MRSA INFECTION

MRSA Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Staph aureus is again in the news some common sense steps to lower chance of infection with Staph aureus and bacteria in general

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How can you lower the chances of MRSA Staph Aureus infection? The 64 million dollar question. It's all over the news, what you ask, is happening? Methicillin is a form of penicillin antibiotic that has been used to treat bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus infections that are resistant to regular penicillins.













Methicillin was kind of a second line of defense aginst these bacteria, sort of a second line of trenches for the enemy to cross. But bacterial strains have developed that can resist methicillin, the so called MRSA, methicillin resistant staph aureus. Staph aureus is very common, it is found on the skin.



Staph has been around for a long time but now we are hearing more about the resistant staphylococcus. So what can you do to lessen your chances of getting staph? (and of course other bacterial infections).

Don't ignore a seemingly minor cut or scrape, get medical attention

"To avoid transmission, the Center for Disease Control recommends

frequent hand-washing

showering after exercise

covering cuts and abrasions with bandages until healed

not sharing personal items like razors and towels that come into contact with bare skin

placing barriers between skin and shared equipment like weight-lifting benches

sanitization of frequently touched surfaces".

"Perhaps the greatest threat posed by MRSA is its ease of transmission. MRSA can pass from person to person through simple touch, or the sharing of personal objects. It can navigate its way into the body through breaks in the skin, even microscopic ones, and through nasal passages.



"Not surprisingly, community outbreaks have occurred in places where people gather in close quarters and where they may have physical contact, like schools, prisons, military barracks and storm shelters".

Some settings have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted.

These factors, referred to as the 5 C's, are as follows: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness.

Locations where the 5 C's are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.



See the excellent article at

A (Sometimes) Deadly Scourge


See what the Center for Disease Control says about

Answers to commonly asked questions about preventing the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections.