The Centers for Disease Control describes MRSA as follows: "MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This type of bacteria causes "staph" infections that are resistant to treatment with usual antibiotics.
MRSA occurs most frequently among patients who undergo invasive medical procedures or who have weakened immune systems and are being treated in hospitals and healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. MRSA in healthcare settings commonly causes serious and potentially life-threatening infections, such as bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, or pneumonia.
In addition to healthcare-associated infections, MRSA can also infect people in the community at large. Such infections are generally mild and affect the skin with pimples or boils that can be swollen, painful and drain pus. These skin infections often occur in otherwise healthy people."
More information related to MRSA can be found at the links below or in our "A-Z Index" under "M".
- MRSA Resources - Full Listing
- NYSDOH - MRSA Fact Sheet
- NYSDOH - MRSA Fact Sheet in Spanish
- CDC - Posters
