Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Last updated: 07 February 2008

What is Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus?

Staphylococcus aureus (or staph) are bacteria that are found on the skin and in the nose of people. Staph are usually harmless, but they can sometimes cause infection and serious illness.

Some strains of staph have become resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and to other antibiotics. Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are hard to treat, as some antibiotics will not kill the bacteria.

What are the symptoms?

MRSA and other staph can cause:

• skin infections such as boils and impetigo (school sores)
• infection under the skin (cellulitis)
• more serious infections of the bone, blood, lungs and other parts of the body.

How is it spread?

MRSA and other staph can cause infection by getting into the body through broken skin or into the blood stream.
MRSA and other staph can be spread by:

• Touching or squeezing the infected body area, such as a boil or wound
• Using soiled towels, clothes or bed sheets that have been used by a person with an MRSA infection
• Using grooming items that have been used by a person with an MRSA infection
• Not washing hands carefully.

Who is at risk?

People who have health problems such as diabetes or a poor immune system—or who have broken skin due to wounds, recent surgery, or dermatitis—are more likely than others to get a staph infection.

How is it prevented?

Wash your hands

Hand washing is the most important thing to do to prevent the spread of MRSA. Wash your hands:

• before and after touching or dressing an infected area
• after going to the toilet
• after blowing your nose
• before handling or eating food
• before handling newborn babies
• after touching or handling unwashed clothing or linen.

Cover boils or other skin infections
Cover boils or other skin infections with a watertight dressing during the daytime. A child with impetigo (small blisters or flat, honey-coloured crusty sores on the skin, caused by either Staphylococcus or Streptococcus bacteria) should not go to school or childcare until after one full day of treatment.

Don't share:

• soiled towels, clothes or bed sheets. If you share a bed with someone, keep sores or wounds dressed overnight
• grooming items such as nail scissors, tweezers, razors and toothbrushes.

How is it diagnosed?

A doctor will take swabs or samples from boils, wounds, or other sites of infection. These samples will then be sent to a laboratory for testing.

How is it treated?

Your doctor will advise on the best treatment for your infection. Treatments include dressings, and surgery, depending on the type of infection. MRSA may be treated with special antibiotics.

What is the public health response?

MRSA is not a notifiable condition in New South Wales. Hospital staff keep track of infection rates and infection control practitioners within hospitals advise on ways to limit its spread.