Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is an infection caused by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that enters through cuts or openings on the skin. Generally, staph bacteria are harmless and exist on and in the nose and skin of around 33 percent of the population, as noted by the Suffolk County Government Health Services Office. However, MRSA infections are resistant to many broad-spectrum antibiotics, which can lead to treatment problems. MRSA is spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact with another person or through sharing items, such as clothing, razors, etc., used by the infected person.
Biochemical Characteristics
Staph aureus, a spherical, gram-positive bacteria that grows in clusters that resemble grapes, is naturally part of the flora inside the human body and normally co-exists without causing harm, says K. Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology. Staphylococcus aureus is capable of performing both types of cellular respiration (metabolic processes)--specifically, aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen). This makes staph much more adaptable to different environments (places, surfaces and body areas).
Transmission Characteristics
As a result of its adaptability, MRSA spreads easily through skin-to-skin contact of bodies where there are cuts, abrasions or open wounds in the skin that allow the bacterium to enter. The potential for MRSA is especially high in unclean, high-traffic, public places. It is, therefore, understandable that one type of MRSA is known as hospital-acquired, or HA-MRSA, because open sites on bodies and compromised immune systems make patients perfect targets for MRSA to gain entrance. This form of hospital- or medical facility (nosocomial)-acquired infection is especially evident in post-operative patients, where surgical wounds can become infected with MRSA. The other type of MRSA, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is community-acquired (CA-MRSA). This type is common to the general public. Here, MRSA is transmitted in crowded conditions or where close quarters exist and in places where there is an increased likelihood of skin-to-skin contact, where there are common areas of contaminated surfaces or shared objects (benches, towels, clothes or devices--equipment), and that have frequent skin injuries. Consequently, schools, daycare centers, prisons and athletic environments are primary hot spots for the spread of MRSA.
Infection Characteristics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that MRSA has the potential to produce a diverse range of infections at different sites of the body, such as the skin, urinary tract, major organs and post-surgical wounds. What can begin as a minor scrape of the skin can serve as the portal for MRSA and lead to serious health consequences. Skin infections are the most common and may include boils, a small scab from a puncture that gets scratched off or, even, the common sty in the eye region. A major skin and tissue infection associated with MRSA is cellulitis, which involves the skin and the layers of tissue underneath; if not caught early with appropriate treatment, the condition can become life-threatening. MRSA can also invade internal organs or systems, such as MRSA pneumonia in the lungs, or become systemic through the blood. MRSA infections remain more common in health care facilities because of the easy entry at surgical sites, tracheotomies or feeding tubes, respirators, catheters, or other open skin or puncture sites.
Precautions
The message to take away is this: If you have a wound that becomes red and swollen, painful or filled with pus and is taking longer than normal time to heal, then see a doctor at once. Do not delay, for MRSA infections can become an abscess under the skin that requires surgical debridement if not caught early. An MRSA infection is nothing to play around with; do not take your time in getting to the doctor.
To prevent an MRSA infection, wash your hands with soap, practice good health hygiene and keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered. Take precautions around someone with a wound on the skin, and do not share clothes, towels, earrings, training equipment, razors, etc. with anyone--regardless of the degree of intimacy.
