MRSA, Staph Infections, and what you need to know

What is MRSA?
MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (staph). Staph is a bacterium that lives on the skin or in the nose. Staph can cause boils, abscesses, impetigo, wound infections, or other skin infections. MRSA is staph which has become resistant to some of the antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections. This can make MRSA more difficult to treat.

How is staph (or MRSA) spread?
Our skin is a wonderful barrier to infection. Bacteria colonize everyone’s skin. Colonization means that the bacteria live on skin, but do not cause infection. Staph is one of the common organisms found on the skin. Staph also frequently colonizes the nose. In some cases, this staph will be MRSA. If the skin is broken, staph (which is sometimes MRSA) can penetrate the skin and cause infection.

Staph infections are also more likely if people have:

  • Skin to skin contact with someone who has a staph infection
  • Contact with items or surfaces that have staph bacteria on them (i.e.: Shower floors, door knobs, phones)
  • Openings in the skin such as cuts or scrapes
  • Participation in contact sports
  • A weakened immune system
  • Poor hygiene

What are the symptoms of staph (or MRSA) infection?
Most staph (or MRSA) causes skin infections that produce one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

  • Cellulitis – redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness of the skin
  • Boils – pus-filled infections of hair follicles
  • Abscesses – collections of pus under the skin
  • Sty – infection of a gland on the eyelid
  • Impetigo – a crusty, seeping skin infection
  • Wound Infection – redness, warmth, and tenderness around a cut or scrape

How serious are staph (or MRSA) infections?
Most staph (or MRSA) infections are minor and can be easily treated. In a few rare cases, staph (Or MRSA) can travel beyond the skin and cause infections in the bloodstream, brain, heart, bone, and lung. This usually happens in people who are diabetic, immunosuppressed, terminally ill, or otherwise very sick with another disease. These Invasive MRSA infections can be fatal. Last week’s edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 1 in every 5 of these Invasive MRSA infections results in death. This was widely reported in the media and has caused great concern.

None of the cases on the Bluffton University campus have been Invasive, and all have responded to appropriate antibiotic treatment. On a university campus, such as ours, where people are generally healthy, the risk of Invasive MRSA is very small.

How is MRSA diagnosed?
MRSA can only be diagnosed for certain by taking a culture of a draining wound. It typically takes 2 – 3 days to receive the results of a culture. MRSA can be suspected if an apparent staph infection does not respond to traditional antibiotic therapy.

How is MRSA treated?
While MRSA is resistant to the usual anti-staph antibiotics, it usually remains susceptible to other common drugs. When culture results are available, and antibiotic that will effectively treat the MRSA can be prescribed.

What can you or your student do to prevent staph (MRSA) infection?

Using common sense can significantly reduce the risk of acquiring MRSA or any other bacterial infection. Some of these measures include:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage.
  • Avoid contact with other peoples’ wounds or bandages.
  • Do not share personal items such as towels, razors, bars of soap, wash cloths, clothing, athletic uniforms or athletic gear such as tight elastic braces.
  • Avoid skin-to-skin contact with persons who have skin infections.
  • Clean objects and surfaces that are shared with others, such as athletic equipment.