MRSA - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems." (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html)

"As reported on the CDC website, MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus areus, caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, most connected with healthcare settings.  These numbers appear in greater detail in the October 17, 2007 issue of JAMA (vol. 298, # 15, pp. 1763-1771)."  For more information, see the CDC website Overview of Overview of Healthcare-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa.html) and other links below.

• Bacterial Infections
• Infection Control
• Staphylococcal Infections