Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) and MRSA
Staphylococcus aureus, commonly called staph, is a bacterium found on the skin or in the noses of approximately 20–30% of people in the United States. While staph bacteria are usually harmless, they can sometimes cause serious infections. Most staph infections respond to antibiotics; however, some strains have developed antibiotic resistance.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) refers to staph strains that have become resistant to certain antibiotics typically used to treat staph infections. MRSA is the most common drug-resistant infection in healthcare settings and continues to increase in prevalence.
There are two main types of MRSA:
- Healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA): Primarily found in hospital patients and residents of long-term care facilities.
- Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA): Found in individuals who have not had contact with healthcare facilities.